JASROOP GOSAL
SURREY – Today, the Surrey Board of Trade wrote to the Honourable Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, to express concerns about the proposal to remove the 50 points awarded to permanent residence applicants through a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for certain job tiers.
“The Minister indicated that he is considering removing the LMIA points for permanent residence applications as a result of concerns regarding fraudulent job offers being sold for thousands of dollars,” said Jasroop Gosal, Interim Spokesperson and Policy & Research Manager. “While we also share these concerns of individuals taking advantage of the system, the LMIA points are a signal to the world that we are welcoming to skilled and talented individuals. Given the current high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) thresholds, the 50 LMIA points could make a significant difference in helping such skilled applicants meet the required score and contribute to Canada’s workforce.”
“Canada is facing a skills shortage in many fields, including health sciences and clean technology, and these skilled workers are highly sought after. Without the points, these individuals may decide to leave Canada, resulting in a brain-drain effect occurring.”
CALL TO ACTION:
We urge the government to focus on enhanced regulations and measures to verify the legitimacy of job offers. This approach would target fraudulent practices while protecting employers who genuinely rely on the LMIA system to attract and retain talent essential for their operations.
Read the full SBOT letter here: https://businessinsurrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/241129-Letter-to-Hon.-Marc-on-LMIA-points.pdf
Jasroop Gosal is the Interim Spokesperson and Policy & Research Manager for the Surrey Board of Trade
