Canada expands work permit scheme, to benefit Indians

Canada has initiated a significant move which will benefit Indian professionals and other foreigners as it expanded its work permits to family members of temporary international workers from next year.

While addressing the reporters, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada Sean Fraser announced that his department is extending work permits to family members of temporary foreign workers on December 2.

Prior to this announcement, spouses were only eligible for a work permit if the principal applicant was working in a high-skill occupation.

Starting in January 2023, through a temporary 2-year measure, Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada to spouses and working-age children through a phased approach for workers at all skill levels.

"Everywhere I go, employers across the country continue to identify a lack of workers as their biggest obstacle. Today's announcement will help employers find the workers they need to fill their labour gaps by expanding work permits to family members at all skill levels, resulting in family members of over 200,000 foreign workers being able to work in Canada," the statement quoted Canadian Minister as saying.

"Labour is the number 1 challenge facing Canada's tourism sector as we position ourselves for post-pandemic growth. Today, our government is bringing in innovative, family-based solutions to resolve this issue and help our tourism partners grow to meet the global demand for Canadian experiences from coast to coast to coast," Minister Fraser said.

(ANI)