Ottawa urged to crack down on immigration employment scam

The Federal Government works to prevent employers from charging fees to temporary foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). However, some workers are still being exploited and made to pay large sums to secure jobs in Canada. Immigrants pay to get a Canadian employer to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is needed for a work permit. Scams involving LMIA fraud are known, but the Government has taken steps to guard employees against them. Some foreign workers pay to stay in Canada and get semi-skilled LMIA jobs to settle in the country. The TFWP has led to profiteering by unscrupulous employers and immigration consultants. Last year, the Federal Government changed regulations to ensure temporary foreign workers are not charged for their recruitment.