Province of Alberta will hire more foreigners
The government removes restrictions on the employment of applicants from abroad.
On May 1, 2022, the Alberta government lifted the restriction on hiring new foreign workers in all occupations. Previously, there was a list of professions for which no foreigner could be employed — companies were automatically denied the labor market impact assessment (LMIA), which is required to employ a foreign job seeker.
The list is generated at the federal level and extends to other Canadian provinces as well. It was needed so that during a pandemic, employers would give priority to unemployed Canadians.
The new measures in Alberta support local companies that need the workforce and can't fill positions with Canadian applicants. The changes will affect all applications awaiting LMIA processing, even those submitted before May 1.
As the Alberta government notes, the measures will also increase the likelihood that immigration candidates will find work and get an invite in the provincial stream for professionals who have a profile in the Express Entry system (Alberta Express Entry Stream). The other Alberta stream, for candidates working temporarily in the province (Alberta Opportunity Stream), did not change as the list did not apply to it.
