How to get a work visa for Canada

How to get a work visa for Canada

 

“Having a work permit for a skilled worker… There is nothing there. We just have to fill out the online forms on the website of the Immigration Department. "

 

"What is the point of spending company money on having others do the legwork for us. Everything is well indicated on the government site. "

 

Are you running a Canadian business? Or are you the human resources manager? And you want to recruit Internationally Trained Workers (ITWs) because you can't find qualified staff in your area?

 

Maybe you've even found the rare gem you need to boost your business? Or to access new markets?

 

However, this highly qualified foreign worker must still be able to come to Canada as quickly as possible. Otherwise you risk missing out on business opportunities!

 

Perhaps you will then be tempted to do all the formalities yourself to obtain the work permit of your future employees for Canada. It makes perfect sense to want to reduce administration costs by avoiding the need for resources outside your company.

 

But is this really the best way to go?

 

And what about the facts?

 

All that glitters is not gold…

At first glance, a government site like Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (or IRCC) seems very user-friendly and packed with information. There are even some very well done videos and their exact transcription. All the necessary information and forms are in principle available.

 

But when you explore the site, you quickly find that there is a way to get lost in a labyrinth of subsections. The process varies a lot depending on whether you need agricultural workers, graduate workers, highly skilled workers or intermediate skilled workers.

 

There are different programs for hiring foreign workers. For example :

 

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP);

Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program;

Express Entry (for skilled immigrants).

There's even a Global Talent Stream, for highly skilled workers with unique and specialized skills.

 

In addition, in most cases, the employer must obtain a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

 

You must also make sure that your foreign workers meet several criteria - including language skills.

 

And it's not over…

Added to this is the fact that we must take into account the agreements with the provinces.

 

Thus, in Quebec, you may be required to have a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) even before obtaining a Canadian work permit for your foreign worker.

 

In other words, you will also have to "explore" the website of the Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion.

 

Yes, with patience you will find your way around a bit. But it takes a lot of time ... and energy.

 

A great sage once said: “Superior knowledge means saving time and energy. "

 

Effective time management requires working at your skill level. If not, what if you devote your time to something that is not really within your competence?

 

You are wasting your talent - and your small business money - on a task that others could do faster and easier than you. So waste of time, energy ... and money.

 

The crucial issue of processing time

On the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) site, it seems to be downplaying the need to hire immigration and citizenship consultants to expedite cases. Because, in principle, the processing time is the same for everyone ...

 

This can give the impression that you can do without an authorized representative and do the legwork yourself.

 

Except that the deadline is likely to stretch unduly beyond the deadline if we get lost in the process. It takes a lot of care to fill out the forms and follow the various steps. Not to mention that it takes a lot of time.

 

And all the legal or administrative jargon is not that easy to understand. This may require specialized knowledge.

 

On the other hand, it is very advantageous to go through someone who knows what doors to knock on. It always goes faster than looking for it yourself ...

 

You may save money by doing things yourself, but you rarely save time ... And as the saying goes: Time is money ...

 

"Knowing how to delegate" the task

Perhaps in the long run, you will develop some experience in the process of obtaining a work permit