Achi news desk-
The provincial government says there has been “overwhelming interest” in a new immigration stream benefiting Alberta’s hospitality industry since it began March 1.
The Alberta government wants to more than double the size of the tourism economy by 2035 and has given the industry its own dedicated immigration stream.
It is aimed at temporary foreign workers who are already working in the tourism industry and want to stay in Canada permanently.
Temporary foreign workers are eligible if they have worked in tourism and hospitality for at least six months and have been offered a permanent job by an employer.
“I know the reception was overwhelmed with applications in its first day, which to me indicates a lot of demand,” said Tracy Douglas-Blowers, president of the Alberta Hospitality and Lodging Association.
“We also know that there are a number of workers who came to Alberta either through the temporary foreign worker program or as evacuees from Ukraine who want to stay and continue to contribute to the hospitality industry, and employers who are very keen to retain those people who have built their skills and committed themselves to the industry,” said Douglas-Blowers.
She says things are looking better in terms of vacancies.
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“We have definitely seen an easing of the labor shortage that many of our members have been experiencing over the past few years, which is great news,” said Douglas-Blowers.
Jason Foster is associate professor of human resources and labor relations at Athabasca University and director of the Parkland Institute at the University of Alberta. Foster has concerns about the program.
He supports the idea of more routes for temporary foreign workers to find permanent residency but is concerned that the program increases the vulnerability of workers and their dependence on their employers.
“Now, not only does their temporary residency depend on keeping their employer happy, now their hopes of being able to stay here permanently depends on keeping their employer happy, and that’s a situation that can make workers very vulnerable to abuse and exploitation,” Foster said.
He says some employers take advantage of employees’ lack of knowledge of the system.
“There are employers who often hang their work permit status or their potential to become permanent over their heads. We hear that a lot,” Foster said.
It suggests that governments need to create criteria that the workers can achieve independently of any particular employer so that workers can reduce their dependence on a particular employer.
The province says that with the Alberta Immigration Advantage Program’s Tourism and Hospitality Stream, a valid job offer from a qualified employer belonging to a sector association helps ensure the legitimacy of the business and job offer, contributing to fraud prevention measures.
“The program is committed to safeguarding against abuse and misuse, working actively with federal and provincial/territorial counterparts. With tremendous interest in the new stream, a phased admission process has been adopted to effectively manage applications, with follow-up actions to be announced soon,” Muhammad Yaseen, minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, said in a statement to Global News .
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