Open Work Permit for FSW Backlog Reduction Pilot Applicant

If you are one of those invited to apply under Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) Program Backlog Reduction Pilot program and got a positive assessment from the province, you can now enter Canada earlier with an Open Work Permit.

Information about this option is availble  in Operational Bulletin 470 (Open Work Permit Requests from Provincial Nominees Identified Through the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Backlog Reduction Pilot) 

To be eligible, applicants must meet the following criteria:      

1. The applicant must be a participant in the FSW Backlog Reduction Pilot.     
2. The WP application must be accompanied by a letter of support from the nominating province that:         

- confirms the applicant is being nominated under the FSW Backlog Reduction Pilot; and        
- indicates the WP will only be valid for work in the nominating province. 

A Labor Market Opinion (LMO) is not required for this program. 

LMO waived for Haitians in Canada | Work Permit Application

When Haiti was hit by a killer quake last year, Canadian Government launch several programs to support Haitians. Here are some of the programs to support earthquake victims.

Special immigration measures in response to the earthquake in Haiti

Quebec to take in 3,000 more Haitian immigrants

Transit visa waived for aid workers to and from Haiti transiting through Canadian airports

And now, Citizenship and Immigration Canada even makes it easier for Haitiians in Canada to get a work permit. Labor Market Opinion (LMO) will no longer be required.

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations generally require work permit applications to be accompanied by a determination by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada that there is no adverse impact on the labour market. This is known as a labour market opinion, or an LMO. By removing this requirement, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is making it easier for Haitians who are here to work and maintain their immigration status.

Haitian nationals applying to extend their work permit will also receive continued coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). New applicants who are eligible for these measures will now also benefit from the IFHP.

More information about this program: Minister Kenney makes it easier for Haitians in Canada to work.

LMO Expiration | Limited Validity Period for Labor Market Opinions

This entry is to answer questions regarding Labor Market Opinion (LMO) expiration and the limited validity period for new LMO.

As of November 28, 2009, any LMOs issued before May 19, 2009 with an opinion expiry date of more than six months will be considered to have expired. Therefore, as of November 28, 2009, applications with an LMO containing an opinion expiry date of more than six months after the issuance will be returned as incomplete and the TFW may advise their employer to seek a new LMO.

This transition period is outlined in the Operational Bulletin 152 dated August 28, 2009 (Limited validity period for labour market opinions)

In the past, not all LMO have a date by which they must be used to apply for a work permit (WP). But as of May 19, 2009 HRSDC has established a maximum period of six months during which an LMO may be used to apply for a WP. This six month period is defined by the LMO expiry date.

If you filed an application for work permit with expired LMO, your application will be returned and marked incomplete.

If your LMO is issued before March 19, 2009, you have until NOv 29, 2009 to file your application. Otherwise, you will be needing a new LMO.

For more information about Limited Validity Period for Labor Market Opinions, click here.

Concurrent Processing: LMO and Work Permit

Here's another tip on how to expedite the process for work permit application - concurrent processing.

Ordinarily, you need a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) before you may file your application. However, certain temporary foreign worker applicants are allowed to file their work permit applications while their LMO is still in process at Service Canada.

Eligibility

The job you are applying for must be listed in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) at the O, A or B level. For more information, see National Occupational Classification List.

You must be applying for a work permit at a Canadian visa office outside Canada.

These procedures do not apply to the Live-in Caregiver Program, the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program or the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training (NOC C and D), also known as the Low Skill Pilot.

How to apply

Include the following documents with your work permit application:

A letter to the visa office stating that you want concurrent processing of your work permit application and that you are aware that a positive LMO issued by Service Canada is required before a work permit can be issued to you.

A copy of your employer’s application for an LMO, along with a copy of your job offer or contract in Canada.

Your application processing fee.

Important Reminders:

You must send the approved LMO to the visa office as soon as you receive it from your employer (include your visa office file number).

If the LMO is still pending 60 days after you have applied for the work permit, you must contact your employer to find out how much longer Service Canada anticipates it will take to process the LMO.

You must advise the visa office if Service Canada requires more than a total of 90 days after the work permit application was made to process the LMO, otherwise your work permit could be refused.

If you need assistance on concurrent processing of your LMO and Work Permit application, email me at aapuntar@go2canada.com

Linxus Royal Hotels Canada Scam

One of my blog readers, who is interested to immigrate to Canada, sent me an email asking my opinion about the email she received offering to process her work permit to work in Canada. She is actively looking for opportunities to live and work in Canada so she is not surprised to receive an email from Canada. However, she wanted to be sure and thus, sent me an email.

Here's the email she received.

Dear [name withheld],

With the receipt of a provisional offer of employment letter in Canada,I have been contacted to apply on your behalf for a work permit with the Citizenship and Immigration Canada, United Kingdom, has been contacted to hasten your process of obtaining a permit. The process for obtaining a Canadian Work Permit consists of 3 distinct stages;

1. Obtain an offer of employment from a Canadian Employer
2. The Canadian employer must then apply for an LMO (Labour Market Opinion)
3. You then apply for the work permit through CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada).Which is what we are about to hasten.

Being in Canada on a work permit makes applying for permanent residency through the skilled migration route much faster and simpler.

I have been mandated to hasten your process as a skilled worker under the non regulated occupations. We shall provide you with a work permit and eventually assist with obtaining a permanent residency.You are to confirm your readiness to follow the process by providing these details:

Complete name;
Date of birth;
Address and Telephone number;
Your relationship to the person being invited; Employer
The purpose of the trip; Work
You are to also send a scanned copy of a passport photograph,
Your Full Mailing Details

We already have details of your accommodation and living expenses. You will also be required to make the administrative payment of $730.00 USD, for us to file for your papers with the CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) .Since you already meet the basic requirements; I will make your arrival stress free. In your reply, provide the details as requested above as well as inform us when you are to make the payments for us to commence, so I can provide you with payment details. As soon as i get the permit, which takes a maximum of 2 weeks, i shall courier same to you, for your trip.

I shall expect to hear from you.Any details are importat and should be adhered to the latter.

Sincerely,
Jessica Wilfred
+44 703 197 2891

The first time I saw the email, based on how it was constructed, I easily suspected that it's just one of those online scams.

1. My blog reader told me that her would be employer is the Linxus Royal Hotels in Canada. I searched for information about the hotel and didn't find any.

2. It was mentioned on the email that the work permit will processed at Citizenship and Immigration Canada - United Kingdom. My blog reader is a Filipino citizen presently residing in the Philippines. It is not possible to process her work permit at Canada High Commission in London. You may process your work permit application at Canada High Commission in London only if:

You are a citizen of Channel Islands, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Norway, Sweden or United Kingdom, or

You have been legally admitted to one of the countries listed above.

3. According to the email, processing of work permit takes a maximum of 2 weeks and that the email sender was tasked to hasten the process. The average processing times for work permit application in Visa Office in London is 6 weeks. And there is in fact an important notice posted at their official website:

Our visa office receives many applications each day. Applications are processed in the order in which they are received. We cannot expedite applications.

I wonder how they can hasten the process and get the work permit in two weeks.

So there. I think it is just a scam similar to that of Omni Hotel Scam. The rule of thumb here is if the job offer is too good to be true, there is a great chance that it is not true. Especially those who promise a guaranteed visa. To find jobs in Canada, here's an alternative application process.

Employers' Guide: Hiring Filipino Workers

Last month, Apples Jalandoni of ABS-CBN's Bandila visited our office to gather information about application process to live and work in Canada. And few weeks ago, I was contacted by a couple of employers from British Columbia who want to hire Filipino Workers. Why is there a huge demand for Filipino Workers is probably best explained by this: Imagine a world without Filipinos.

If you are an employer from Canada planning to hire temporary foreign workers from the Philippines, the following information may help you.

First, you must apply for a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) from Human Resource Social Development Canada. (We can help you with this if you are not familiar with the process.)

A prospective employer interested to hire Filipino workers must be pre-qualified or verified by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Canada and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), the Philippine government’s arm that manages the deployment of Filipino workers overseas.

Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) verification process is to ascertain the existence of the company or project and that there is indeed a need for Filipino Manpower.

The following documents must be provided by the employer:

Special power of attorney issued by the principal or employer to the licensed Philippine agency or recruitment agreement or service agreement;

Master employment contract which stipulates among others the minimum provisions of employment contracts of landbased workers;

Manpower request indicating the position and salary of the workers to be hired;

Valid business license, registration certificate or equivalent document.

Upon POLO Validation, employer must be registered by a local recruitment agency to POEA in order for them to conduct recruitment activities. The following document are required for registration

Special Power of Attorney or recruitment agreement or service agreement with the Philippine licensed agency;

Master employment contract of the direct employer or foreign placement agency containing the minimum requirements for contracts of employment of land based workers;

Manpower request indicating the position and salary of the workers to be hired.

Valid business license, registration certificate or equivalent document or proof of existence of project validated or certified by the issuing authority in the host country;

Visa assurance or any equivalent document validated by the issuing authority. (LMO will do)

With the complicated process of hiring Filipino Workers, you need an experienced partner like Internationl Jobs Recruitment Agency.

Our partner, International Jobs Recruitment Agency (I-Jobs), is in the best position to assist you if you are planning to hire Filipino Workers They will not only provide you qualified workers with skills, training and education that you need. They will also help you plan for your manpower requirements.

Visit http://www.intl-jobs.com now!

Live and work in Canada: Application processing shortcuts

There are those who are looking for shortcuts to live and work in Canada. Most of them are asking for information about fiance visa or tourist visa application with the end in view of working in Canada.

But will that really work?

There is no fiance visa category in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada. And getting married with a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Residents in Canada is not a guarantee that you will be given a permanent resident status, too. Well, there are those who are able to exploit the system, but there is a great chance that if marriage was just done for convenience, it will be caught.

Now comes the other shortcut - tourist visa application. There are those who visit Canada and work there even without a work permit. That is illegal.

If if you are already in Canada on a temporary resident visa, you must apply for a work permit first before you should work. You can actually apply for a work permit from within or inside Canada if:

you have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit

you have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job

you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or

you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.

And of course, you must have a valid job offer or a Labor Market Opinion (LMO). In some cases, LMO is not required to get a work permit.

For list of jobs in Canada that require a work permit but not LMO, click here.

To get updates about application process to live and work in Canada from Canada Visa Application Online Resource, subscribe visa email here.

How to expedite the process: Application to work in Canada

Information on how to apply for work in Canada is available in the Canadian Embassy website. You'll find there the downloadable application forms, instructins and list of requirements that you needed to submit.

Now, this post is to give tips (for Filipino workers) on how to expedite the process of work permit application filed in the Philippines. Current processing period is approximately 10 weeks but based on the acknowledgement letters we receive from embassy, it looks like the processing period is really 18 weeks. These tips could not only help expedite the process but may also give you a higher chance of approval.


1. It is best that your employment contract and Labor Market Opinion (LMO) is validated by Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) before filing your application at the Canadian Visa Office here in Manila.

2. Accomplish your appliction forms properly, don't leave any field blank. Put N/A if fiedls are not applicable to you.

3. Submit all the applicable documents required on the checklist. Submit original documents if that is the requirement.

4. Submit your original passport including all previous passports. If it's lost, prepare an affidavit.

5. If you have expereince working abroad, secure a certification and or OFW Information Sheet from POEA. You'll not find this on the checklist, but they may require you this just the same. So submit this as well to avoid delay.

6. Most of the jobs in Canada require language proficiency in English or French. An English Test result may help expedite the process. This is not mandatory but highly recommended. Once you have your work permit application File No. you may then schedule your CANSPEAK Test through Canadian Embassy Phone Center. The test will cost you P 1,000.00. Or if you want to submit English Test Result at the time of filing of your application, you may take the IELTS Examination. This will cost you P 8,640.00.

We provide assistance both for work permit, permanent resident visa and all Canada Visa application. Please feel free to email me at aapuntar@go2canada.com should you need more information.

Good luck to your application!

Don't Waste Your Labor Market Opinion (LMO)

Labor Market Opinion (LMO) is an opinion being given by Human Resource and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or to employer about the likely impact of hiring foreign worker to Canadian labor market.

A positive HRSDC Labour Market Opinion supports the hiring of a foreign worker for a temporary position in Canada, and is one requirement that Citizenship and Immigration Canada considers when deciding to issue a Work Permit to the foreign worker.

Yesterday, a client visited me in our office to discuss her case: Refused Work Permit Application.

She have a posotive Labor Market Opinion (LMO) for a Job Offer from Tim Hortons. She filed her application direct, and her application was refused on two grounds:

1. Visa Officer was not convinced that she will return after the employment contract ended.
2. Insufficient Work Experience.

She could have made it had she provided sufficient supporting documents, which she actually have! Unfortunately, her application is not open for appeal.

Getting a positive Labor Market Opinion is one thing. But having your visa approved is another. For visa application assistance, email me at aapuntar@go2canada.com