Canadian immigration still dependent on work visa holders
June 18 2009 by Ranjan Chakraborty
Canada visas for construction & IT
Canada immigration still has a list of 38 occupations for which it is suffering skills shortages and is therefore looking for immigrants to fill the void.
Experts claim that, despite the economic crisis, the government has not turned its back on these industries and is still encouraging people from abroad to apply for a Canada visa if they have relevant skills that may prove helpful to the country’s businesses, including the accountancy field.
Although Canadian immigration is taking steps to ensure Canadians get a fair chance to apply for jobs, qualified Canadians in some industries are in short supply and it is essential that the country continues to attract skilled immigrant workers.
However, the fact that the Canada visa application system is slow is causing problems for some firms who have skills shortages. “Our clients identify their accountancy needs and once they're identified, they're probably in desperate need for them, and they can't really wait 12 months," says Jonathan Leebosh, a business immigration lawyer.
Some 25% of the employees at Ernst & Young Canada are skilled Canada visa holders who have enabled the firm to prosper and grow.
South African-born Ernst & Young Canada employee, Fiona McFarlane, says that employing immigrants helps to encourage cross-cultural understanding which can improve the work environment and the productivity of the workers.
Visit skills shortages in Canada.
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