Canada Announces New Recognized Employer Pilot Program (REP) 2023

Canada Announces New Recognized Employer Pilot Program: Canada launched today a new pilot program under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to alleviate the country’s persistent labor shortfall.

Randy Boissonnault, Delta, British Columbia’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development, and Official Languages, made the news.

Canada established a new Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) to streamline labor access for qualifying Canadian firms while preserving the strongest worker protection standards.

This will be a three-year experimental program that will begin next month, in September 2023, to make it easier for employers to obtain an LMIA.

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What is the new Recognized Employer Pilot Program:

The Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) would reduce administrative burdens and streamline the recruiting process for TFW Program companies that have a track record of satisfying program standards.

The majority of firms must first complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before applying for a work visa to hire a temporary foreign worker.

An LMIA validates that the position requires a temporary foreign worker and that no Canadians or permanent residents are available to fill it.

Furthermore, it confirms that the employment offer is real and that the company has followed Program rules to protect employees.

To be eligible for REP, companies must have earned at least three positive LMIAs for the same occupation in the previous five years from a list of in-shortage occupations supported by Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) data.

Recognized employers will have access to LMIA validity periods of up to 36 months, as well as simpler LMIA applications for future employment of additional staff if necessary.

REP will be introduced in two stages:

• Employers in the Primary Agriculture stream will be eligible to apply for the 2024 season, which will begin in September 2023.
• Phase two begins in January 2024 and includes all other industries.

Both streams’ application periods will finish in September 2024.

Employers who are expected to meet REP eligibility conditions will be proactively encouraged to register using a dual-purpose LMIA application, which differs from the conventional LMIA.

Employers may request that the application be used to apply for recognized status under REP and the LMIA at the same time.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will determine the employer’s eligibility for the REP based on previous involvement in the TFW Program.

If an employer is not awarded recognized status, they can still use the TFW Program, and the Department will continue to examine their LMIA.

An LMIA and REP application can be submitted in two ways:

Employers can complete and submit an online application to ESDC through the LMIA Online Portal, a dependable and secure platform; otherwise, if the employer has legitimate exemption documentation, they can send a PDF application form to ESDC.

• Employers can complete and submit an online application to ESDC through the LMIA Online Portal, a reputable and secure platform; or,
• If the company has submitted valid exemption documentation to the LMIA Online Portal, it can email a PDF application form to ESDC.

The review of a REP application will be based on the employer’s TFW Program compliance history and the frequency with which they use the Program to fill in-demand positions.

Employers who meet the qualifications can expect:

• A streamlined application process for future LMIA applications for COPS posts;
• Fewer points of contact between participating employers and ESDC during the pilot as a result of shortened LMIA forms, which allow employers to hire more Temporary Foreign Workers for genuine job opportunities during REP; and
• A Job Bank label indicating their recognized position in order to enhance interest from prospective employees.

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