BANFF, Alta. – When Ben Woolley emigrated from Great Britain to work on a Canadian hog farm seven years ago, getting into the country was far easier than it is now, even though Canadian agriculture is experiencing a widespread labour shortage.
The problem is exacerbated in Alberta, where unskilled workers can start an oil patch job for considerably higher wages than agriculture can afford to pay.
Woolley, vice-president of Sunterra Farms in Acme, Alta., said it may take one or two years to bring people into the country and the process can be frustrating.
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“We found there are no immigration standards for our industry,” he said.
Agriculture is diverse so it is difficult to standardize job descriptions and wages. There is no easy way to recruit and screen applicants and working with foreign embassies can be frustrating, Woolley said at the recent Banff Pork seminar.
To address the problem, a group of large hog farms in the province decided to form the Alberta Pork Producers Association to bring in workers. The association calculates that the industry needs about 80 people and without them it cannot expand.
Because more people are scanning the internet for work, the producers worked with Alberta Pork to expand its website to offer a broader career section with job titles, wage grids and suggested education levels to attract people from other provinces and countries.
A variety of federal immigration and foreign worker programs are offered but the onus is still on the employer to recruit good people who will make a contribution.
“It is expensive to bring in someone for one year,” Woolley said.
“You need to be careful about who you are bringing in.”
Employers must work with embassies to obtain work permits and Woolley thinks visas need to be longer than a year because it takes that long to train and get full value from the employee.
Embassies can be slow to process applications and it is difficult to interview people abroad by telephone with limited English language skills.
Alex Callegon of Service Canada’s foreign worker program said his department is the first stop when hiring foreign workers. It receives applications with job descriptions and submits an opinion to Immigration Canada, which makes the final decision on a person’s entry.
The government wants to know if a foreign national might take a job
from a Canadian so employers are expected to look for citizens to fill positions first. Employers must also consider various categories when applying for workers.
A temporary foreign worker may be considered if the job is temporary but fulltime, or is permanent but an employee is needed to bridge the gap until a Canadian citizen or permanent resident worker can be recruited and trained.
A permanent foreign worker may be eligible if a Canadian or permanent resident worker cannot be trained in time and the job offers reasonable prospects of continuity. A foreign worker is welcome if the person is bringing special skills that could be useful to Canadians.
The process of bringing in foreign workers is slow partly because the department does not have enough staff to assess and reply to applications in a timely fashion. The department may take six weeks to look at an application and up to two years to get someone into the country.
When seeking foreign workers, employers must describe the level of skill required and how much education the person should have.
The government wants to know if the job offer is genuine and that the wage offer and working conditions are average for the region. If the wage offer is lower than average, the applicant must explain why and may adjust it accordingly.
Applications for workers often go to the government before someone is actually hired. Once someone is found, the employer issues a confirmation to the government as soon as names can be provided.
Unskilled labour is allowed in for a year with a caveat that the individuals return home for four months before they can come back. A skilled employee can come for a maximum of three years.
An employee who works out well and wants to stay in Canada can apply for permanent residency and obtain an extension.
Once someone is hired, the employer must pay return air fare, offer 12 months of work and follow provincial labour standards.
The employer has to help the person find suitable, affordable accommodations that cost no more than one-third of the gross salary. Health insurance must be provided and once employees arrive in Canada they should be eligible for provincial health care.
In Alberta, a provincial nominee program has been developed to help workers remain in Canada, said Rachelle Langlois, an immigration officer with Alberta’s economic development department.
It is a skilled worker program that co-operates with Immigration Canada to expedite the resident immigrant process to bring in permanent full-time, skilled people for pre-approved Alberta employers.
It is a two step process in which employers must meet provincial employment and wage standards.
Once someone is approved, the nomination is sent to a visa office. The person is subject to health, criminal and security checks through Immigration Canada. If approved, the person becomes a permanent resident.
So far Alberta has brought in 840 people for a variety of jobs from food processing to farm work.
“About 95 percent are flips from temporary programs, “Langlois said.
