Hiring Foreign Workers

Are you facing challenges finding experienced and dedicated employees? Are your traditional hiring tactics not producing the results you want? It may be time to think outside the box and consider tapping into a diverse labour pool such as immigrants or foreign workers. While hiring foreign workers can be more challenging than hiring local staff, it may be worth the effort in
this tight labour market.

Here are some tips and options to consider before embarking on the process of hiring a foreign worker:

Plan Ahead

If you are thinking of hiring a foreign worker, plan ahead by creating a recruitment plan and determining your recruitment goal. Start thinking at least a few seasons ahead, especially because of slower processing due to the ongoing pandemic. A recruitment plan should be based on your business goals. From there, establish specific recruitment goals. One of your main goals will be to attract the right number of candidates who also have the appropriate skills your business needs. You might be surprised to find that a foreign worker may also be able to enhance the skill set of your current workforce.

Explore Available Program Options

There are many program options available, and depending on the program, the processing times can vary. Take the time to explore all the options available to you.

Here are a few of them:

• International Students
  Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides most international students with eligibility to work in Canada. In most instances, students who are enrolled full-time at a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) in Canada are eligible to work off-campus, up to 24 hours per week (As of November 8, 2024), while attending classes. Once students have graduated, they are eligible to apply for a Post Graduate Work Permit (PGWP) which allows them to work in Canada from eight months up to three years, depending on their program’s length. IRCC will issue a work permit directly to a new graduate without the requirement of first having a job offer, so the student comes to you with a valid, open work permit. Connect with a local post secondary institution to see if they offer an International Student program. You may be able to promote your available position(s) directly through the school. Here is a list of schools with Tourism Hospitality programs.
• International Experience Canada (IEC)
  Consider promoting your seasonal jobs to international youth who already have a work permit. The Working Holiday is the most well-known IEC program which allows a foreign worker the flexibility to travel and work anywhere in Canada. The worker is issued an open work permit which allows them to work for any employer. International, mobile, young people are eager to explore and work in various regions of BC. Canada has bilateral reciprocal agreements with over 30 countries allowing foreign youths aged 18 to 30 (35 for some countries) to travel and work in Canada. The work permits are typically valid for 12 to 24 months.
• Mobilité Francophone
  The Mobilité Francophone program is a category of the International Mobility Program that allows Canadian employers to hire French-speaking foreign workers to work in any province or territory other than Quebec. The program is open to any nationality with no age limit, as long as French is the candidate’s habitual language of daily use. This option can only be used for skilled positions, so it would be ideal for hiring a professional Chef or managerial role such as Restaurant or Bar Manager. IRCC has options available to make it easier for employers to hire these candidates. Many countries have public employment services that specialize in international recruitment and can assist in finding candidates. For more information, visit the IRCC website.
• Additional Points to Consider
  For applicants already holding a work permit, once they accept an offer one of the first steps is to ask for a copy of their work permit (note the expiry date and fine print as some work permits can be employer specific), and Social Insurance Number (SIN) for payroll purposes. A SIN beginning with ‘9’ indicates that the employee is a foreign national. Employers must be diligent when hiring foreign workers to ensure they are eligible to work for the business, in that location, and in that role. There are penalties for both employers and employees who work or employ a foreign national without legal authorization to do so in Canada.

Entry requirements have varied over the last two years. As of January 15, 2022, all workers, visitors and students entering Canada are required to be fully vaccinated with a vaccine accepted in Canada at least 14-days before their entry. At the time of writing, travellers are also required to take a PCR COVID test before entry and provide results that are no more than 72 hours old at the time of entry to Canada (land border) or when boarding their flight to Canada, and must also submit a quarantine plan before entering Canada.

Remember, if you are hiring a newcomer to Canada, they may need a place to live and may need time and assistance to get settled in the country. Be prepared to help, especially with finding housing if options in your area are limited. And at the very least, ensure they have a place to stay when they first arrive in the country.

While foreign workers can be a great addition to your workforce, do your research before setting out to hire them. You may want to seek help from an immigration consultant or lawyer. go2HR can also provide further information and resources. Please contact: hr@go2hr.ca or 604-633-9787.

Cindy Conti is the HR Consultant–Vancouver, Coast & Mountains with go2HR.