Canadian employers who are hoping to bring in foreign nationals to Canada as temporary workers through the streamlined, Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) can now hire them for a greatly expanded list of eligible occupations.
When the pilot’s first phase kicked off in September, it was targeted solely at the agricultural sector and allowed REP-qualified employers to hire temporary workers only for four occupations, including:
| NOC code 2021 | Occupation |
| 85100 | Livestock labourers |
| 85101 | Harvesting labourers |
| 84120 | Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators |
| 85103 | Nursery and greenhouse labourers |
84 Occupations Are Now Eligible For Rep-Qualified Employers
Under the second phase of the REP, though, that list of eligible occupations has exploded to include 84 occupations, allowing recognized employers to benefit from validity periods of up to 36 months for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications that receive a positive decision and also access a simplified LMIA application when hiring additional workers.
The list of eligible occupations under the second phase of the REP, which started this month, includes:
| NOC code 2021 | Occupation |
| 20010 | Engineering managers |
| 20011 | Architecture and science managers |
| 21321 | Industrial and manufacturing engineers |
| 21322 | Metallurgical and materials engineers |
| 21200 | Architects |
| 21201 | Landscape architects |
| 21202 | Urban and land use planners |
| 21203 | Land surveyors |
| 31300 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors |
| 31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
| 31100 | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine |
| 31101 | Specialists in surgery |
| 31102 | General practitioners and family physicians |
| 31103 | Veterinarians |
| 31111 | Optometrists |
| 31201 | Chiropractors |
| 31209 | Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating |
| 31121 | Dieticians and nutritionists |
| 31112 | Audiologists and speech-language pathologists |
| 31202 | Physiotherapists |
| 32109 | Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 31203 | Occupational therapists |
| 31204 | Kinesiologists and other professional occupations in therapy and assessment |
| 32120 | Medical laboratory technologists |
| 33101 | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations |
| 31303 | Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals |
| 32104 | Animal health technologists and veterinary technicians |
| 32103 | Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists |
| 32121 | Medical radiation technologists |
| 32122 | Medical sonographers |
| 32110 | Denturists |
| 32111 | Dental hygienists and dental therapists |
| 32112 | Dental technologists and technicians |
| 33100 | Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants |
| 32101 | Licensed practical nurses |
| 32102 | Paramedical occupations |
| 33102 | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates |
| 33103 | Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants |
| 33109 | Other assisting occupations in support of health services |
| 31200 | Psychologists |
| 41301 | Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies |
| 41310 | Police investigators and other investigative occupations |
| 44101 | Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations |
| 65310 | Light-duty cleaners |
| 63100 | Insurance agents and brokers |
| 62020 | Food service supervisors |
| 62200 | Chefs |
| 63200 | Cooks |
| 63201 | Butchers – Retail and wholesale |
| 65202 | Meat cutters and fishmongers – Retail and wholesale |
| 64100 | Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers |
| 65200 | Food and beverage servers |
| 65201 | Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations |
| 72106 | Welders and related machine operators |
| 72310 | Carpenters |
| 72311 | Cabinetmakers |
| 72400 | Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics |
| 72402 | Heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics |
| 72405 | Machine fitters |
| 72406 | Elevator constructors and mechanics |
| 72420 | Oil and solid fuel heating mechanics |
| 72421 | Appliance servicers and repairers |
| 72422 | Electrical mechanics |
| 72423 | Motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle and other related mechanics |
| 72429 | Other small engine and small equipment repairers |
| 73200 | Residential and commercial installers and servicers |
| 73300 | Transport truck drivers |
| 85100 | Livestock labourers |
| 85101 | Harvesting labourers |
| 84120 | Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators |
| 85103 | Nursery and greenhouse labourers |
| 85102 | Aquaculture and marine harvest labourers |
| 85120 | Logging and forestry labourers |
| 94141 | Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers |
| 94142 | Fish and seafood plant workers |
| 94210 | Furniture and fixture assemblers, finishers, refinishers and inspectors |
| 94211 | Assemblers and inspectors of other wood products |
| 95100 | Labourers in mineral and metal processing |
| 95101 | Labourers in metal fabrication |
| 95102 | Labourers in chemical products processing and utilities |
| 95103 | Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing |
| 95104 | Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing |
| 95106 | Labourers in food and beverage processing |
| 95107 | Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
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Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) proactively asked employers expected to meet REP eligibility criteria to apply using a dual-purpose LMIA application which differs from the regular LMIA. The ESDC was able to determine each employer’s REP eligibility based on its track record with the TFWP.
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Even if an employer did not get recognized status, he or she remains eligible to use the TFWP and the ESDC will continue to assess their LMIA.
Employers Can Apply To Hire Temporary Foreign Workers Through The Online Portal
Employers can apply in one of two ways:
- through the LMIA online portal, a reliable and secure platform where employers can complete and submit an online application to ESDC or;
- If the employer has proof of valid exemption to the LMIA online portal, they can e-mail a PDF application form to ESDC.
The REP status gives employers access to:
- a simplified application process for future LMIA applications for positions on the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) list;
- fewer points of contact between participating employers and ESDC during the pilot due to simplified LMIA forms which enable employers to hire more temporary foreign workers, and;
- a Jobbank designation to show their recognized status to help them recruit prospective workers.
Canadian employers hoping to attract workers through economic immigration can recruit them through the TFWP and the International Mobility Program (IMP).
The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and the processing of visa applications within two weeks.
Employers can also bring in foreign nationals to fill available positions through the Express Entry system, which receives immigration applications online.
It powers the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and Canada Experience Class Program (CEC) which all draw from the Express Entry pool of candidates. Those with the required Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores are then sent Invitations to Apply (ITAs) in regular draws.
