REDUCING PROCESSING DELAYS FOR THE TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM (2023)

Issue

Acute skills and talent shortages in B.C. have shown the pressing need for new sources of labour supply. Given the high level of job vacancies in the economy, there can be a need to bring in workers from outside Canada. When there are no Canadians or permanent residents available to do the job, some businesses seek to hire foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program of the federal government to fill current job needs. Prior to accessing the federal program, businesses are required to register with the provincial government. However, the B.C. government’s public registry has not kept up with the surge in applications, leading to costly delays in the process impacting businesses’ ability to quickly hire the talent their business requires. While the current labour shortages are multifaceted and complex, improving processing times to be a registered employer would support businesses that meet all the criteria and are struggling without the staff they need to operate their businesses.

Background

Given the current tight labour market, businesses seeking to fill short-term labour and skills shortages that cannot be met by local talent are increasingly reliant on temporary foreign workers (TFWs). According to the rules introduced by the provincial government in 2020, employers who are interested in hiring TFWs are required to first register with the province’s Employment Standards Branch. Only after receiving a certificate of registration, employers can proceed with the following steps and apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the federal government.

The wait time to get the provincial registration approved is increasing and not comparable to other provinces, including Manitoba and Alberta. In over one year, the number of applications received by the B.C. Employment Standards Branch substantially increased from 2,955 in 2021 to 12,300 in 2022. However, the surge in applications has caused delays in processing times, with a wait time of up to 7 weeks as of March 2023. Some members have stated that their processing times are between 8 to 10 weeks. In neighbouring Alberta, there is no similar process, while in Manitoba it is claimed that they can process applications in less than 1 day. The bottleneck in the provincial registration process is in turn extending the entire process of hiring TFWs, as employers cannot move to the next stage until a certificate is processed and granted.

TFWs contribute to B.C.’s economic growth and development by filling labour gaps and bringing the skills needed in various sectors such as agriculture, hospitality and construction in B.C. Playing a critical role in the agriculture sector, TWFs contributes massively to the local food supply chain, supporting essential seasonal jobs in domestic food production. For sectors with demonstrated labour shortages especially in a post-pandemic context, such as Accommodation and Food Services, TFWs are also an important source of labour to meet the needs of seasonal job demand in areas such as winter sports (i.e., ski resorts in towns and cities across B.C.) and major events. British Columbians and visitors to B.C. greatly rely on the labour provided by TFWs, from the food they buy at the grocery store to taking part in sporting and tourism activities across B.C.

To ensure businesses in British Columbia remain open and competitive, the provincial government should reduce any administrative delays in the TFWs program and ensure businesses who meet the criteria of not being able to hire Canadians, can access staff.

THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS

That the Provincial Government:

1. Reduce processing delays in B.C. for employer registration for a Temporary Foreign Worker to be completed within a maximum of three business days.