Evidence of meeting #76 for Citizenship and Immigration in the 42nd Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was business.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Nick Whalen Liberal St. John's East, NL
There's another small point. I noticed earlier you mentioned employee discounts and taxation being an issue. I just want to let you know that's not something that's happening now. It's not something that's in the cards.
I just want to thank everyone for bringing their ideas. If you have a final one recommendation to fix the AIP, we'd love to hear it.
Owner, Farmer's Daughter Country Market
I haven't had to use it yet, so I don't know yet. Hopefully in the spring I'll be using it. I'm on the list as a designated employer. I hope to be expanding my business, because I have this great pool of people now and people who are interested in coming here. I really don't have anything on that right now.
Chairman of the Board, Restaurants Canada
The one thing I would suggest is enabling people who are here at the end of their work permit now. There's a number of them in Alberta who have approached me, because there's just not the level of work there that there used to be. Restaurants are struggling because of some other factors that are going on in Alberta; minimum wage. Restaurants are closing. These people are here, and they cannot get a work permit in Canada. Typically, if it was someone who was on an LMIA, I could send them to a border crossing and they could get a new work permit. That can't happen under the Atlantic pilot program. The people who are already here and started to be partially integrated who want to come and accelerate the Atlantic pilot program can't do it. They have to go back to their country of origin.
Liberal
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
We need to end there.
Mr. Maguire, you have just a couple of minutes.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I just want to say that you gave a little bit of an answer to Mr. Whalen's question. My question was going to be this, that you said earlier that you could detail the complexities that you needed to go through in that 55-page document, and I think you've done a bit of that. Once you get to the stage of the provincial nominee program, the next step is permanent residency, so you've got that employee.
I go through it lots in my office. As an MLA in Manitoba before I became an MP, I dealt with temporary foreign workers, so I know exactly what you've gone through trying to do that.
Conservative
Larry Maguire Conservative Brandon—Souris, MB
It worked well for some of the people in our area who did it. They also built residences so that they could have a place for some of these people to be housed. Of course, there was a rent charge, but it was pretty nominal.
One of the benefits that we've had is a former Cape Bretoner, Heather, as well. Mark Frison is from Cape Breton Island, and he's now the president of our Assiniboine Community College in Brandon.
I'd glad to commend him to you, Mr. Allen and Mr. Erjavec, for the culinary arts course that he has in Brandon Assiniboine Community College. He's produced a very good course there in his tenure. We love having him in Brandon, and it's been a big part of the expansion of our community.
Is there anything you'd like to say as well in regard to any more details on the complexity of the issues you'd have to go through in those documents?
Vice-President, Atlantic Canada, Restaurants Canada
I think a big step forward would be having a digital process you could track along the way and see where the hiccup is, because it's sitting there, and you're not quite sure where it is and what's happening. Is there something wrong with it? Are they waiting for this document or that document? The unknown is very frustrating. Some sort of digital tracking portal would be a big start.
Liberal
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Thank you, Chair. I will be very quick.
Thanks for your testimony today. My question will be about retention. I know that a challenge faced by the Atlantic provinces is that when people come for immigration, they come in terms of opening a door to come to Canada. Do you have any suggestions for the government or for businesses on how to retain the people who come there?
Chairman of the Board, Restaurants Canada
To retain them to live in Atlantic Canada?
Chairman of the Board, Restaurants Canada
The former program and the process worked well in that it gave immigrants the time to get settled. I know that for one Atlantic pilot program application that was processed, they had their permanent residency within three weeks of arriving. They're completely mobile at that time. That's a time of transition where, if you're in a rural area like Atlantic Canada and you're used to a large city, you're attracted to go back to a large city.
Anything that would make the commitment to the work period longer in the region would be beneficial, I think, to assist them in becoming comfortable in the area. That's what has happened with all of my people who have come in—in as temporary foreign workers, become provincial nomination certificates, and get their permanent residency. By the time they have their permanent residency, they have become comfortable in the community and have stayed.
Liberal
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
What about international students? Are they finding it easier to settle down?
Vice-President, Atlantic Canada, Restaurants Canada
That was a great addition to allow international students to work. That was a big plus. I'm from Halifax. It's a university town, and it has been a big plus.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Rob Oliphant
Thank you to all our witnesses.
We will be resuming on Thursday morning. This is a reminder to members that the deadline for witnesses for the Yazidi briefing and study is tomorrow at 5 o'clock.
The meeting is adjourned.