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SPEAKING NOTES FOR
THE HONOURABLE MONTE SOLBERG
MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP
AND IMMIGRATION

at the launch of the CIC Temporary Foreign Worker Units in Vancouver and Calgary

Calgary, Alberta

July 31, 2006

Check against delivery

* * * * *

Good morning/afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

First, may I say how great it is to be in my home province and in the city of Calgary . Now that you have all recovered from the Stampede, it’s time to get back to work and that is why I am here, to announce an initiative that will further add to the booming economy of this city, the province of Alberta, and Canada as well.

One of the most satisfying experiences of being the minister responsible for citizenship and immigration is working together with Canadians to improve our immigration process.

And, in the five months since my appointment, I have consulted with many of those Canadians.

I can tell you that not a day has gone by since I was appointed minister that I have not heard about labour market shortages threatening to hold up Canada’s economic growth. That’s why I continue to work with Human Resources and Social Development Canada , our provincial partners and many others to address the issue of foreign credential recognition. But we’re doing more. I am here to tell you about another step we’re taking to start to address the challenging labour market.

Immigration is more than just numbers. It is also about attracting, welcoming and supporting newcomers. And it is about providing innovative and effective services and support to the newcomers’ employers.

Without the talent pool of newcomers, companies and industries cannot grow and meet their potential; talented individuals go unchallenged and unrewarded, and Canada could lose its competitive advantage.

So, it is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of an initiative that will meet both the needs of temporary foreign workers and those of the business community. Effective September 1, 2006, temporary foreign worker units will be established here in Calgary and in Vancouver.

The units will provide advice to employers on whether a work permit is required and if so, whether a labour market opinion is needed. That information will be given to the immigration officer making the decision to allow the worker into Canada. The unit will not issue work permits, but this prescreening will help make consistent decisions and facilitate the admission of workers.

As these units become established, other services could eventually be added, for example, outreach activities and orientation programs for employees.

I am excited by this initiative and confident it will be a success. It will benefit the business communities both here in Calgary and in Vancouver, and the economies of both provinces.

This pilot project is based on the temporary foreign worker unit established in Quebec three years ago. Since that time, the number of cases reviewed has more than doubled. The program has become so successful that employers from across Canada have contacted this unit for advice and guidance.

You simply cannot put a value on such services.

These units are just one part of what CIC is doing to help address worker shortages. In addition to the more than a quarter of a million immigrants accepted into Canada in 2005, nearly 100,000 workers came here under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program last year. Those workers were recruited in direct response to employer needs.

They fill a wide range of positions, from seasonal agricultural jobs to others that require specialized training. As you know, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program has been used to bring workers from other countries to Canada to fill jobs on a temporary basis when there’s nobody available in Canada to do the job.

We are also working to build our skilled labour pool by now allowing the approximately 100,000 foreign students currently studying in Canada to apply for off-campus work permits. For you, the leaders of industry and commerce, this new policy will be a significant resource and a potential talent pool to draw from. And for the country, it will present an opportunity for these students to seriously consider choosing Canada as their new home.

Combined with permanent residents, almost half a million newcomers came to Canada this year with varying degrees of potential to help us meet our skill needs. This is a great opportunity, but a big challenge too.

In closing, I can say that we are making progress in dealing with the labour shortages that exist throughout Canada. However, I know that much more needs to be done. We will continue to help facilitate the entry of temporary foreign workers into Canada where they are needed by working with the companies and sectors most affected.

I understand how important it is to address these problems, and I know it’s my obligation to find some answers. In my conversations with Canadians, I have repeatedly outlined my belief that the better we make the immigration system for newcomers to Canadian society, the better it is for all of Canada and all Canadians.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that today’s announcement is an important step in and contribution to the collective effort that is under way to identify, assess and implement—in a timely fashion—solutions that go beyond a “band-aid” approach to these issues.

I will need your ongoing input and, rest assured, I will continue to seek it.