The Justin Trudeau government has already made its intentions clear that it will limit immigration. Canadian PM Trudeau has announced multiple measures limiting immigration to boost employment among Canadians, control inflation, and even control housing prices. In its latest crackdown on immigration, Canada has now made its PR process difficult for foreign skilled workers with LMIA cards.
According to reports, Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) cardholders will not receive the additional 50 points required to get PR under Express Entry. This decision will especially affect those individuals who had previously come to work in Canada by purchasing LMIA and were dreaming of permanent residence (PR).
What is LMIA?
As per Canada's immigration website, IRCC assess the foreign worker’s work permit application. If the assessment is positive, the foreign worker receives a work permit to work for the employer and in the occupation named on the LMIA, under established working conditions, and for a particular duration in Canada.
Limiting 50 points given on LMIA can be a major blow to thousands of Indians, especially those from the Punjabi community, who were dreaming of PR and working in Canada through LMIA (Labor Market Impact Assessment).
As per Punjab Keshari, Canada's Immigration Minister Mark Miller has recently announced the removal of the 50 points previously given through LMIA, which will now have a major impact on the possibility of getting PR by taking advantage of this process. LMIA is an important document, which an employer in Canada has to obtain before hiring a foreign worker. This document certifies that a Canadian citizen or permanent resident cannot be appointed to that position.
Change in Canada's PR rules
This new change may be challenging for foreign workers working in Canada under work permits, as previously LMIA provided 50 additional points, which increased the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of individuals applying for Express Entry. This increased the chances of getting PR. However, the removal of LMIA points, it may lead to a decrease in CRS score, resulting in difficulty for these applicants to obtain permanent residence.