Human Resources Committee on May 30th, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

We'll go over very quickly to Monsieur Robillard.

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

My question is for either of the witnesses.

Quebec is one of—

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

He's only going to get a couple of minutes, if that's your point of order.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Yes, Chair, I'm speaking to the point of order.

It's 5:30, and we now are supposed to be ending and going into the next phase.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

That is understood.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Each party has had a chance to speak and ask questions, so I think it's important that we stick with the clock and get on to the next group.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

That's fair enough. I was going to give Monsieur Robillard an opportunity for just one question.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Fine. Thank you.

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Quebec is one of the four provinces hiring the most workers in high-paying positions under the temporary foreign worker program.

Since you are promoting greater Montreal, you know that the city is key for the digital sector.

Based on what you have been able to observe in terms of the hiring of temporary foreign workers, is there a solution to meet the gaps in training or mobility for Canadian workers?

[Martin Goulet]

The temporary foreign worker program is one of the solutions that can be used to meet the labour needs. That is what our brief actually says. Naturally, the training needs to be matched with the job and the graduation rates need to increase. There is also the permanent residence solution, which makes it possible to attract immigrants and therefore create a pool of skilled workers.

We must understand that the temporary foreign worker program is a solution for a specific and temporary need. It is a solution to a shortage. A profession can be in high demand. Is the idea to fill a position for two years, three years or three months? It's really a temporary solution.

[A voice]

That makes it possible to hire experienced people.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Thank you very much.

I'd like to thank all of the panellists—

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I haven't had a chance to ask a question.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Unfortunately, we are out of time.

I also apologize to Mr. McAlpine for not getting any questions, but I will say that your presentation was quite complete.

If there are any questions to any of the witnesses from any of the members of this committee, if they would like to get them to the clerk, we can get them passed on and of course will pass the responses back to everybody.

Again, thank you very much.

We're moving to our third panel very quickly. I see that they have just arrived. I would like to thank everybody and apologize for the technical delays with Montreal. We're very glad to have heard from all of you as well.

Thank you so much.

We will be suspending for about two minutes just to get organized here.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bryan May]

Let us come to order, please.

Welcome back.

From the Department of Employment and Social Development, we are joined by Paul Thompson, senior assistant deputy minister, skills and employment branch; Janet Goulding, director general, temporary foreign worker program, skills and employment branch; as well as, from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, Maia Welbourne, director general, immigration branch; and Robert Judge, director of temporary resident policy and program division, immigration branch, strategic and program policy.

That is a quite a business card. I think I said that last time, too.

Thank you again for very graciously coming back. I know we were cut off early. We heard opening statements from you during the previous opportunity. We're going to jump right into questions, if that is okay.

First up is Mark Warawa.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Thank you to the departmental officials for being with us today.

My understanding is that right now the processing time for permanent residency status applications in Canada is quite a bit longer than the time for somebody coming in to be a temporary foreign worker to go through that process.

Is this a correct understanding, that it takes substantially longer for permanent resident status?

[Paul Thompson, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Skills and Employment Branch, Department of Employment and Social Development]

I can speak to the labour market impact assessment portion. There's more to getting the permanent residency than just that part of the process.

Each of our different streams for processing our LMIAs has a different timeline associated with it; some are faster, some are slower. In 2015, the data I have says that it took about 56 days on average in processing time for a labour market impact assessment for someone seeking permanent residency.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

So it takes 56 days for the LMIA; then, after that, the processing time to approve a temporary foreign worker is what?

[Paul Thompson]

That wouldn't be in the temporary foreign worker stream. It would be in support of an individual, who could be a temporary foreign worker, seeking permanent residency through a—

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Could anybody answer that presently?

[Paul Thompson]

You could speak to the express entry—

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Thank you.

[Maia Welbourne, Director General, Immigration Branch, Department of Citizenship and Immigration]

Processing times under our permanent residence streams vary, but for those applications being managed through the express entry system the processing standard is six months, and that is from the moment when an individual is invited to apply for permanent residence. That processing standard is being met.

[Mark Warawa, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Then it's six months for somebody for permanent residence.

Why would it be so much longer—and I think we all know the answer—to have somebody apply for permanent resident status, as compared with a temporary foreign worker?