Employer Guide to Hiring

International Workers

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS
An international worker, also known as a foreign worker, is a temporary resident who is legally permitted to work in
Canada on a temporary basis. Each year, thousands of international workers enter Canada to work for employers
who are experiencing labour market challenges.

This guide provides information to assist Newfoundland and Labrador employers on hiring international workers to
meet their labour needs when the employer has considered all alternate recruitment strategies to attract or retain
local workers.

TO HIRE OR NOT TO HIRE

Before a business considers hiring international workers, it must assess if there are alternative options for filling the
job vacancies from the local labour force:
Has the employer contacted the Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour for help and guidance with
respect to its labour market needs?
Have the positions to be filled by international workers been publicly advertised with no success in recruiting?
Is hiring international workers part of the employers overall human resources planning process?
Does the employer have the time and resources (financial and human) to successfully hire, train and manage
international workers?
WHY HIRE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS?
When employers face significant challenges in recruiting local workers with the training, skills and experience
needed for their operations, they can consider the advantages of hiring internationally-trained workers:
Increase diversity in the workplace internationally-trained workers bring cultural richness to
the workplace giving the employer a distinct benefit. These workers can provide new contacts and
introduce fresh and innovative ways of working and solving problems.
Increase the reach of a business many internationally-trained workers speak languages other
than English, have experience with other cultures, and have global connections. These attributes can
help an employer develop and compete in new markets (nationally or internationally) and/or attract new
customers.
Fill vacancies when challenged to hire locally with a rapidly aging workforce it will become more
difficult to recruit people with the skills, knowledge and experience that an employer requires. Recruiting inter-
national workers can help address this challenge.

INTERNATIONAL WORKERS: A TEMPORARY OR A

Hiring
PERMANENT SOLUTION TO YOUR LABOUR MARKET NEEDS International Workers

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

The Government of Canadas Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the Increase diversity
International Mobility Program (IMP) may offer a solution to employers that face tem- Increase business
porary or short-term labour market pressures. These programs assist employers in Create new markets
filling their skill and labour requirements, on a temporary basis, when qualified Cana-
dians and permanent residents are not available. Eligible employers can recruit both
high-skilled as well as lower-skilled workers to meet their temporary needs. Using the
TFWP should be an option of last resort for employers. Details on these programs are available at:
TFWP: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/foreign_workers/reform/info_emp.shtml
IMP: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/tools/temp/work/admissibility/open.asp

How To Recruit International Workers For Permanent Positions

Employers looking for a permanent solution to long-term skill shortages can avail of both federal and provincial
government immigration programs that facilitate the entry of skilled international workers to live and work in
Newfoundland and Labrador.

Employers should first look to recruit internationally-trained workers who may already be residing in Newfoundland
and Labrador. This group includes immigrants, international students and graduates, and temporary foreign work-
ers. The Association for New Canadians (www.ancnl.ca) can help to connect employers with qualified international-
ly-trained individuals seeking employment in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Immigration programs that employers can utilize include:

1. Federal Express Entry System

The Express Entry System manages how people with skilled work experience apply in Canada for permanent resi-
dency through federal government economic immigration programs, including the Federal Skilled Worker Program,
Federal Skilled Trades Program, Canadian Experience Class and a portion of the Provincial Nominee Program.
Candidates who are offered local employment and apply under the Express Entry system, will be able to apply to
become permanent residents. The Federal Government aims to process the Express Entry applications within six
months and candidates will be eligible to work as soon as they arrive in Canada. The Express Entry system is ad-
ministered by the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Details are available at http://
www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/index.asp

2. Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Nominee Program

The Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) is a provincial immigration program made
possible through an agreement with the Government of Canada. Through the PNP, the Province can select and
nominate qualified international workers to work and live in Newfoundland and Labrador. Employers can utilize the
PNP to hire international workers. The categories of the PNP that can be used to hire international workers include:

2.1 Skilled Worker Category

This category is for international workers who have a guaranteed offer of employment from a Newfoundland
and Labrador employer, or are currently working in the province on a valid work permit.
Full details are available at http://nlpnp.ca/skilledworker.html

2.2 Express Entry-Skilled Worker Category

This category is for skilled international workers who have been accepted into the Immigration, Refugees
and Citizenship Canadas Express Entry pool and who have a job offer in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Details are available at http://nlpnp.ca/expressentryskilledworker.html

ACCESSING THE PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAM TO HIRE INTERNATIONAL

WORKERS
To access the PNP to hire international workers, employers must demonstrate that genuine and bona fide efforts
were made to recruit from the local labour market and that hiring international workers will not adversely affect
employment or development opportunities for local residents. In order to demonstrate local hiring challenges,
employers must complete a Job Vacancy Assessment (JVA) application.

To support its application, employers must provide evidence to demonstrate attempts to hire locally, including:


Proof of advertising for a period of at least six weeks;
Advertised Registered Proof of business registration with www.jobbank.gc.ca
Job for Job Activity reports from job postings (e.g., number of resumes received,
6 Weeks Bank number of local candidates interviewed, reasons why local candidates
were not successful); and
Efforts Any other information that demonstrates efforts to hire locally.
to Hire Job
Locally Activity
Report Employers that have successfully demonstrated local hiring challenges can
then hire international workers under the Skilled Worker or Express Entry-Skilled
Worker PNP categories. Employers must ensure that they provide the successful
candidate with a written offer of employment and notify the Department of
Advanced Education, Skills and Labour of any changes to the conditions of the employment offer, which could also
include a decision to rescind the offer.

Further information on the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program can also be
obtained by contacting:

Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism
Department of Advanced Education, Skills and Labour
P.O. Box 8700
St. Johns, NL A1B 4J6
Tel: 1-709-729-6607
Fax: 1-709-729-7381
E-mail: pnp@gov.nl.ca
Web: www.nlpnp.ca