Issue
Employers are reporting Labour Market Impact Assessments are being denied for unreasonable and inconsistent reasons. The current process lacks transparency and is leaving employers out thousands of dollars for denied applications.
Background
Labour shortage, skilled and otherwise, continues to be a significant challenge to many Canadian businesses. While attempts to remedy the shortage through skills training programs and immigration programs such as the Expression of Interest system are steps in the right direction, they don’t address the immediate shortage facing employers. Thousands of jobs continue to go unfilled as Canadians are either unwilling or unable to fill these in demand occupations. As a result, Canadian productivity continues to languish far below its potential.
Our Recommendations
The Alberta Chambers of Commerce recommends the Government of Canada:
- Institute an appeal process for denied Labour Market Impact Assessment applications;
- Give clearly detailed explanations when Labour Market Impact Assessment applications are denied; and
- Ensure that appeals are heard by independent and unbiased decision makers.
Topic
Year
2023
Contact
If you have any questions, contact Dana Severson at dseverson@abchamber.ca or (780) 425-4180 ext. 2.