A foreign option

The business community in Labrador West had an opportunity recently to find out about the process of hiring international workers.

Julia Greenwood, with the Department of Human Resources, Labour and Employment, came in the area from St. John's June 15 to explain what is involved in hiring immigrants.

The information session held at the Wabush Hotel included a luncheon, which was served by a number of Filipino workers who've been hired through the provincial program, as Greenwood acknowledged during her introduction.

"Basically, what we want to let people know is, if you are having difficultly hiring people that you could look to hire immigrants as an option," she said. " I believe- like all the staff here at the Wabush Hotel and you have more working at Tim Horton's-they are really hard workers. Most times, immigrants in general are very dedicated to their jobs and very loyal to their employers so it might be a good option."

Provincial Nominee Program

Greenwood explained the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) seeks to recruit immigrants who have specialized occupational or entrepreneurial skills.

The Province, through an agreement with the federal government, can nominate individuals who (it deems) will contribute to the economic and social goals of the province for permanent residency.

"I am a provincial nominee officer," she said. "Lets say you guys were to hire somebody, and they were here, and they wanted to get their permanent residency and stay. They would apply through me, or they could apply through the federal government, but it's faster and easier to go through me on a provincial level first."

She explained, she would take in an application, which could mean a lot of documents especially if there are a lot of family members involved. She then would consider the qualifications and make a decision whether or not the Province should accept the application for permanent residency.

"Normally, the answer is 'yes', we do support them," Greenwood said, "Because normally we get really good files."

Once the Province accepts the application for permanent residency, then the individual would get another application ready for the federal government where another set of assessments are done before he/she can be deemed admissible.

"Chances are, if you are already in Canada, there is no trouble," Greenwood pointed out. "The Feds, though, can always say 'no'. If they just go through the federal, without the provincial nominee, it could take two or three years for the process. Going through the provincial process, it takes about 10 months."

Freedom to come and go

Once an immigrant becomes a permanent resident, he/she would have a PR (Permanent Resident) Card that allows travel in and out of the country freely.

"They have the rights of any Canadian and that means the rights of mobility," she explained. "They don't have to stay here, they can go elsewhere. Sometimes that happens, I think a lot of doctors do that. We don't want to them to go because our goal is retention. And you (employers) don't want them to go if you hire them to come in and work for you. Obviously you want them to stay; you just don't want to give them a free pass into Canada and then move on to Alberta."

Greenwood explained there was nothing the Province can do to keep these workers in this province once they get their PR card, as that would be against the Constitution.

But for the most part, she said, most will stay and want to stay, even if the wages are on the lower scale.

"Even though they might only make $30,000 a year, that is like a fortune to them," she said. "And, if they can send some money home to their family, to say, put their sister through school, that is so huge to them and they really appreciate it."

Process causes concern

Local business manager Jules Custodio voiced some concern over the process and wondered why there seemed to be little in place by way of commitment from the employee to the employer.

"Why isn't there a lapse of time for somebody who comes into this country to stay for so long," he queried the nominee officer. "Because you have gone through all the motions and once you get those people and they travel somewhere else, it leaves you in the same position as when you started."

Custodio asked why something wasn't in place similar to what the Armed Forces have, where those who register (and get their studies paid for) must commit to a certain number of years of service to the Forces in return for that.

"The purpose of coming in here is to work," he added. "And, we need them. So why isn't there as clause that says, 'you have to stay for so long'?"

Closed permits

Greenwood answered his query by explaining if an immigrant comes into the country/province to work, they do so on a work permit. In most instances, that permit is closed in that it doesn't allow the immigrant to work for another employer without that other employer acquiring another work permit. And a worker has to be in this country working for six months before he/she can apply for permanent residency, which take approximately another 10 months to obtain.

In the end a worker-who is brought in on the expense of an employer-can have the freedom to move to another job once permanent residency is obtained, which can happen in about 16 months.

A reason to back off

That was one aspect of the program that didn't go over well either with local businessman Gerald Woodford, who said he had looked into the program but is hesitant because of this.

"That's part of the reason we backed off on this," said Woodford. "I had an immigration consultant hired and I've been told by local employers; you can hire them and they can come here but, if they decide they want to go next door and do the same job, there's nothing you can do about it and you are still responsible to pay them back home."

"Why would I go through all this trouble and spend all this money when I could wait for the fellow next door to hire them and I would go through the LMO (Labour Market Opinion) process and hire them and I am not responsible to send them back," he added. "This would save me about $10,000 for each employee."

Woodford explained that he has some concern over the contract that holds the employer responsible for bringing the workers into the country and a firm obligation to send them back to their foreign home once the work permit expires.

He wondered what would happen in the event a worker would just take off and move to another part of the country, whether or not he would be responsible

Wabush example

Natalie Pear, with the Wabush Hotel, explained that she was faced with a situation where a worker wanted to leave her employ. She was instructed to purchase a ticket for that worker to return to the Philippines.

After she purchased the ticket, the yforeign worker managed to redirect his ticket and he ended up going to Alberta, where she believes he still is.

"But Natalie has fulfilled her commitment because she bought him the ticket," said Greenwood. "He can't work out there in Alberta unless someone applies for another LMO for him."

She explained that once his work permit expires, he would be deported back to the Philippines.

Woodford commented that he isn't altogether sure that the federal government would see it that way, and he said he thinks it's possible if the federal government (who is the ruling power) will come back on the employer who originally brought in the immigrant to absorb all associated costs with the deportation process.

Holes in system

Custodio commented again.

"I see all kinds of holes in your system there," he said. "That is why I was asking why isn't there a lapse of time where these workers have to stay with his/her employer. I mean this is for low-skilled workers. If they don't want to work for the employer, they should be sent back. This is the problem; he should have worked for a lapse of time. You are bringing those people in, and if they don't like it then go back home. I mean there are all kinds of excuses but companies are spending a lot of money for this."

Risks involved

Woodford pointed out that while it may work out well for many of the employers and foreign workers, there are some risks there and chances that an employer must take.

"It's a very expensive venture for an employer," he said. "You have to pay their way over, pay their medical, find housing...and if it's above the pay grade you have to find subsidized housing, which puts more on the employer and you have to find them a way home. If you are bringing them in the contract should go both ways. The biggest problem is, it's a one-way contract. If I want to lay a guy off or get rid of him for some reason, I have to give notice, even if he is totally inefficient. I have to keep him on the payroll until the labour standard says but I could have a fellow that could find a job paying 25 cents and hour more, he quits today and gone tomorrow morning. And what do we do? We do nothing because you have to pay a lawyer $10,000 to deal with it."

Greenwood asked Woodford, why, if he felt that way, was he even there at the session.

"Because I want to fix the system," he said. "I don't want small businesses to suffer and really this is a federal issue."