The federal government must ensure that upcoming changes to Canada’s immigration system reflect the needs of employers, according to a report released today by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.
The report, Think Fast: Ontario Employer Perspectives on Immigration Reform and the Expression of Interest System, provides advice to the federal government as it finalizes the design of the Expression of Interest (EOI) system, a new process for selecting and processing the majority of new immigrants to Canada.
Slated to be introduced in early 2015, the EOI system will give employers a key role in selecting future Canadians through job offers. In the new system, many immigrants will have jobs before they arrive in Canada.
According to employers, Canada must aim to have the fastest system in the world. The speed of the system is the single most important factor in determining whether employers will participate in the EOI system. Under the Australian model, visas for permanent residence are processed within 58 days. The Government of Canada is proposing a 6 months processing time under the EOI system.
The EOI system must also be client-focused. In order to successfully encourage prospective immigrants and employers to use the EOI system, the federal government must view both parties as customers. This implies, at a minimum, one-window access to an online system, a 24 hour hotline for employers and immigrants, and minimal paper burden.
The EOI system must also be marketed internationally to top foreign talent. An ‘if you build it, they will come’ strategy will not work. Canada must aggressively brand itself to potential immigrants as the world’s best place to live, work, and do business.
To read all 13 recommendations, download the report HERE.
For more information, contact:
Melanie Smith
Marketing and Public Relations Manager
Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce
[email protected]
705-673-7133 ext. 217