POEA issues guidelines on Canada work permit applications
Processing of temporary work permit applications of Filipinos jobseekers in Canada will be done on a first come, first served basis to ensure fairness, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has said in an advisory.
Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said that the POEA issued the guidelines to facilitate the processing of applications and to ensure that both workers and employers comply with Canada’s immigration regulations.
She noted that efforts to shorten processing time have been done because the growing number of applicants has resulted in backlogs.
The Canadian Embassy in Manila is currently processing applications that were submitted 18 weeks ago, she said.
To facilitate processing of applications, the Canadian Embassy has encouraged applicants to prepare all the requirements, the advisory said.
Visa applicants must provide as much information as possible on the mode of their recruitment – whether the worker was recruited through a recruitment agency or through relatives or contacts.
Information on the mode of selection is also required - whether they were selected through an interview, written examination, or any other procedures;Further, the embassy needs information on the applicant's competencies (education, experience) and command of the English language.
Basic requirements include a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance and immigration medical examination certificate issued by designated clinic or medical practitioner.
Applicants should also provide evidence that they will return to the Philippines after the temporary work permit lapses. Applicants who have been unemployed for several years, single and who have close relatives in Canada might be a cause for concern. However, a relative in Canada certainly would not bar acceptance of an application.
Work permit application costs CDN$150 (roughly P 6, 768), and that the Embassy prefers payment in Canadian dollars. The amount is not refundable in case of visa denial. Both Filipino and Canadian workers get same wages for same jobs, otherwise employers could be charged for violating Canadian human rights legislation.
Processing of the labor market opinion (LMO) by the Human Resources and Social Development in Canada and of the Work Permit by the Canadian Embassy in Manila can be done at the same time for applicants with skills level A, B, or O (high-skilled areas). The advisory stressed that only the Canadian Embassy issues work permit and only after receipt of the LMO. An application maybe refused if the Embassy does not receive the LMO within 90 days.
It added that workers applying under the Temporary Foreign Workers in Occupations Under Pressure Program will only be allowed to work for two years in Canada.
According the advisory, the Canadian Embassy encourages Canadian employers to consider applicants’ education and English or French language facility as among the criteria for the selection process. The Philippine High School Level has only the equivalent of 10 years high school in Canada. In order to have the equivalent of Canadian High School, completion of an additional two years of studies is necessary.
Applicants must speak English or French enough to perform the job required and to function in Canadian society.
If the applicant fails on language, or education and/or experience criteria, the employer must submit a letter stating the reasons why the worker is essential for the employer’s business operations.
The employer shoulders the worker’s travel cost, which should not be recovered from the worker. Employers must ensure that there are no recruitment fees paid by the worker to any recruitment agencies. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV
Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said that the POEA issued the guidelines to facilitate the processing of applications and to ensure that both workers and employers comply with Canada’s immigration regulations.
She noted that efforts to shorten processing time have been done because the growing number of applicants has resulted in backlogs.
The Canadian Embassy in Manila is currently processing applications that were submitted 18 weeks ago, she said.
To facilitate processing of applications, the Canadian Embassy has encouraged applicants to prepare all the requirements, the advisory said.
Visa applicants must provide as much information as possible on the mode of their recruitment – whether the worker was recruited through a recruitment agency or through relatives or contacts.
Information on the mode of selection is also required - whether they were selected through an interview, written examination, or any other procedures;Further, the embassy needs information on the applicant's competencies (education, experience) and command of the English language.
Basic requirements include a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance and immigration medical examination certificate issued by designated clinic or medical practitioner.
Applicants should also provide evidence that they will return to the Philippines after the temporary work permit lapses. Applicants who have been unemployed for several years, single and who have close relatives in Canada might be a cause for concern. However, a relative in Canada certainly would not bar acceptance of an application.
Work permit application costs CDN$150 (roughly P 6, 768), and that the Embassy prefers payment in Canadian dollars. The amount is not refundable in case of visa denial. Both Filipino and Canadian workers get same wages for same jobs, otherwise employers could be charged for violating Canadian human rights legislation.
Processing of the labor market opinion (LMO) by the Human Resources and Social Development in Canada and of the Work Permit by the Canadian Embassy in Manila can be done at the same time for applicants with skills level A, B, or O (high-skilled areas). The advisory stressed that only the Canadian Embassy issues work permit and only after receipt of the LMO. An application maybe refused if the Embassy does not receive the LMO within 90 days.
It added that workers applying under the Temporary Foreign Workers in Occupations Under Pressure Program will only be allowed to work for two years in Canada.
According the advisory, the Canadian Embassy encourages Canadian employers to consider applicants’ education and English or French language facility as among the criteria for the selection process. The Philippine High School Level has only the equivalent of 10 years high school in Canada. In order to have the equivalent of Canadian High School, completion of an additional two years of studies is necessary.
Applicants must speak English or French enough to perform the job required and to function in Canadian society.
If the applicant fails on language, or education and/or experience criteria, the employer must submit a letter stating the reasons why the worker is essential for the employer’s business operations.
The employer shoulders the worker’s travel cost, which should not be recovered from the worker. Employers must ensure that there are no recruitment fees paid by the worker to any recruitment agencies. - Luis Gorgonio, GMANews.TV
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