Canada, December 18, 2024 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Canadian immigration authorities at looking at reducing fraud by taking the significant step of eliminating the advantage applicants for temporary or permanent residency receive if they have a job offer in hand.
Those job offers fall under the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a document prospective employers have to procure prior to hiring a foreign worker. For those seeking permanent resident or PR status, having the job offer can add 50 points at the minimum to their score, elevating their chances of qualifying under the Express Entry category.
The projected change was announced by Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller during a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Miller said the government was planning to introduce “further measures” to “reinforce programme integrity and reduce LMIA fraud such as removing additional points that candidates receive for Express Entry for having a job offer.”
“This measure is expected to remove the incentive for candidates to purchase an LMIA resulting in increased fairness and integrity in the system,” he added.
LMIA fraud has been a topic of discussion in Canada over recent months as the government has sought to curb immigration and clean up the system. There have been multiple anecdotal reports of unscrupulous immigration agents working with employers to generate LMIAs, after prospective employees pay sums ranging from CA$ 10,000 to nearly CA $ 75,000. Some prospective immigrants have told the Hindustan Times of these demands for processing the LMIA.
Once the employer receives a “positive” LMIA, they can apply for a formal letter from Immigration, Refugees and Immigration Canada (IRCC) and thereafter, it can be used by the prospective employee to either secure a work permit to enter Canada.
Summary: Canada is set to implement stricter regulations for permanent residency, aiming to better manage immigration and ensure long-term stability.