Canada removes points through LMIA amidst immigration fraud

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Non permanent overseas employees who apply to develop into everlasting residents by Canada’s immigration system will not get extra factors if they’ve a job provide that’s supported by a Labour Market Affect Evaluation (LMIA), Immigration Minister Marc Miller mentioned on Tuesday.

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The transfer will cut back fraudulent actions in Canada’s Specific Entry System, which is a web-based platform that manages the nation’s expert immigration packages, the minister mentioned at a press convention.

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“We’re implementing additional measures that may reinforce program integrity and cut back potential LMIA fraud, resembling eradicating extra factors that candidates obtain underneath Specific Entry for having a job provide,” he mentioned. “This measure is anticipated to take away the inducement for candidates to buy an LMIA, leading to elevated equity and integrity within the system.”

The newest transfer appears to be a continuation of the steps taken by the federal authorities to scale back the variety of newcomers coming into the nation amidst rising unemployment and a housing disaster. It was introduced on the identical day that Statistics Canada reported the nation’s slowest quarterly inhabitants development estimate for the reason that first quarter of 2022.

Employers can use Canada’s short-term overseas employee program to rent overseas employees, however they typically have to show that they aren’t capable of finding a employee for that particular place in Canada. To be able to do this, they have to obtain a federal authorities doc referred to as the Labour Market Affect Evaluation (LMIA).

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About 71,300 LMIAs had been accredited by the federal government within the first quarter this yr, in comparison with 63,300 throughout the identical interval final yr. Most purposes had been for farm employees, cooks, food-counter attendants, truck drivers and building labourers.

Some teams, nevertheless, illegally promote LMIA-approved jobs at extraordinarily excessive charges to foreigners who’re both exterior the nation or are already in Canada and are on the lookout for methods to spice up their immigration rating with a view to transition from short-term to everlasting resident standing.

Most short-term residents, resembling worldwide college students and overseas employees contained in the nation and foreigners dwelling exterior the nation, attempt to immigrate to Canada as expert employees. They apply by the Specific Entry platform, which began a couple of decade in the past and supplies potential immigrants with factors for his or her training stage, work expertise, English and French language proficiency, age and different components.

The upper the candidates rating — out of a complete of 1,200 — the extra possibilities they’ve of turning into everlasting residents, which finally results in citizenship. The system is designed to draw younger, expert folks from all over the world.

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For instance, candidates underneath 30 obtain the best attainable variety of factors within the age class. Candidates additionally obtain factors for Canadian instructional levels and work expertise.

An LMIA would have supplied candidates with 50 to 200 factors.

One authorities officer who processes LMIA purposes anonymously instructed the Monetary Submit earlier this yr that there weren’t sufficient checks and balances in place to correctly assess the purposes. The federal authorities, although, mentioned it has elevated inspections on this space lately.

Final yr, the short-term overseas employees program was described in a United Nations report as a breeding floor for slavery.

Trade insiders say the demand for LMIAs has elevated lately as a result of current modifications to Canada’s points-based immigration system for expert employees have made it more durable for potential immigrants to qualify.

As such, LMIAs this yr had been reportedly offered at the next worth than earlier than, starting from $10,000 to as a lot as $70,000 in some instances.

The federal government has not introduced a date to implement its newest transfer.

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