Passportal

»www.Passportal.net
Passportal International Inc (Passportal) is a professional services company that helps people who want to work and live in Canada. Together with a worldwide network of independent affiliate offices and other professionals we can provide you with an extensive range of valuable services. We can help you find a job so you can come to Canada and work but we do not charge for getting you a job. Our service fees are to cover the legal and settlement services provided to you.

We help determine if you qualify for permanent residence and then help you apply for permanent residence. If you don't immediately qualify for permanent residence we'll make recommendations that will improve your chances of qualifying for permanent residence. We represent you throughout the process and provide advice and guidance to ensure you settle successfully in Canada.

»www.WorldHR.com
WorldHR Inc is a Canadian based employment agency that represents Canadian employers and helps them find the people they need. WorldHR presents jobseekers to employers using the online Video Resume System. Once you create a video resume an employment specialist from WorldHR or another agency can see you and present you to employers.

»www.immigrate.net
Top Canadian immigration law firm Rosenblatt Associates provides expert legal advice and representation to Passportal’s clients and to employers looking to hire foreign workers. Rosenblatt Associates assists in the work permits processing and other Canadian immigration applications and provides advice and assistance to Passportal’s clients, staff and affiliates.

Passportal prepares exceptional online video resumes which include a detailed written resume and a streaming video profile. Passportal helps clients prepare their resumes and write effective video scripts. Passportal coaches clients on how to make an effective video presentation and then we record the video presentation until we have an acceptable video. We then upload and host the video onto the online database.

We coach clients regarding how to best present themselves to employers and arrange the interviews at one of our affiliate offices. We critic interview performance and provide advice to ensure success. Successful candidates will receive a job offer in writing by the employers.

Employers must extend a written job offer to the Applicant listing the position, salary, duration of employment, and location of the job. We help clients understand the terms and conditions of their agreement.

Employers who wish to hire foreign workers usually need to file an application for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) with Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). Each foreign worker must have an LMO in their name. HRSDC ensures employers have tried to recruit Canadians first, the job offer is genuine, and the wages and working conditions offered to the foreign worker are equivalent to those offered to Canadians. Processing times vary from 1 week to 6 months.  » HRSDC Foreign Worker Site

Employers can obtain pre-approved LMOs by filing an application in advance of finding the workers that are being hired. Once the employer finds a worker they wish to hire they simply provide HRSDC the details about that candidate and an LMO is issued within a few weeks with that workers name.

HRSDC looks at various websites and information to determine the minimum wage an employer must pay a foreign worker – which is usually the “average” wage.  »Federal prevailing wages  »Alberta wage info

HRSDC has listed certain occupations with large labour shortages and simply require the employer to undertake minimal advertising before approving the LMO application. See  »List of Occupations Under Pressure

HRSDC recently implemented an expedited electronic filing LMO process (several weeks) for employers in Alberta and British Columbia who are hiring the following foreign workers.

Carpenters (Journeyman/Woman) Civil Engineers Commercial Janitors, Caretakers Construction Labourers Crane Operators(Journeyman/Woman) Delivery Drivers Dental Technicians Electrical & Electronics Engineers Food and Beverage Servers Food Counter Attendants Food Service Supervisors Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics Hotel Front Desk Clerks Hotel and Hospitality Room Attendants Industrial Electricians Industrial Meat Cutters Ironworkers

Manufacturing & Processing Labourers Mechanical Engineers Mechanical Engineering Technologists Petroleum Engineers Pharmacists Registered Nurses Residential Cleaning and Support Workers Retail Salespersons and Sales Clerks Roofers Ski and Snowboard Instructors Specialized Cleaners Steamfitters, Pipefitters Surveyor Helpers Tour and Travel Guides Welders Machinists

Foreign workers are usually required to obtain a valid work permit to work in Canada. A procedure called “concurrent processing” allows foreign workers to file for a work permit as soon as they receive a job offer and while their LMO is being processed. Once a job offer has been given to a foreign worker they can apply for a work permit to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa post responsible for the country where they work or live. The work permit will not be issued before the LMO is approved. Low skilled workers must have the LMO before applying for the work permit. Canadian Visa Officers who review the work permit applications can refuse the applications if they are not convinced the applicant would leave Canada if required to (i.e. the job opportunity ends). CIC work permit fee is $150.

In addition to preparing the application forms we will prepare a cover letter in support of your Work Permit Application highlighting the salient facts of your application.

Most applicants must apply at the Canadian visa post responsible for where they are legally living. Some foreign workers may obtain a work permit at a Canadian port-of-entry. Applicants from these “Visa Exempt Countries” (meaning a visitor’s visa is not required for travel to Canada (i.e. Mexico) can apply for their work permits at the border. Medical requirements still apply to many workers from most developing nations if their intended stay exceeds 6 months.  »Where to Apply

Foreign workers who are from a “Designated Country” or have lived in a Designated Country for at least 6 months in the last year must undergo a medical examination with a “Designated Medical Practitioner” if their work permit is longer than 6 months or the occupation is one where the “protection of health is essential” (i.e. teachers, domestics, nurses). Medical examinations are performed by certain doctors and the results are sent to a Canadian Medical Centre for evaluation. This process can take several months. With the new Concurrent Processing procedure medical forms may be issued to the applicant as soon as they apply for the work permit. Some Visa posts only issue the medical forms after they have made a positive determination.  »Designated Country List

Occupations that are classified as “Low Skilled” by the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system are coded “C” or “D” skill level and are ones that usually require at most a high school diploma or a maximum of 2 years of job-specific training (i.e. hotel housekeepers, waiters, machine operators, personal support workers). These workers can come to Canada for up to 2 years but then they must return home for at least 4 months before returning to Canada. Employers must provide return airfare and “help” the workers find accommodations that will not cost more than one third of their salary. HRSDC has a prescribed contract they prefer the employers use (Low Skilled Worker Employment Agreement) and require the employer to enroll the worker in the appropriate Workplace Safety Board insurance program.

Each province has separate rules and regulations regarding professional and trade licensing. Foreign workers often have to obtain the necessary approvals before the work permit is issued. We help the employer and foreign worker navigate this complex area.

Work Permits are usually granted for the length of the LMO. The work permit can not be granted beyond the validity of a passport. The LMO can be granted for up to 3 years if the job offer is for that period and the officer finds it justifiable. Low skilled workers can be given a work permit for up to 2 years and then they must return home for at least 4 months before returning to Canada.

Work Permits are usually extendable. A new LMO is normally required but often additional recruitment efforts are not required. The rules for Low Skilled Workers are different. There are limits for extension for work permits issued under NAFTA or GATS.

We help our clients find suitable accommodation (at their cost). We provide extensive information regarding how to find suitable temporary or permanent accommodations. This is a very personal decision and we offer various solutions to help you find suitable accommodations. We offer such things as “Home Stays” with Canadian families which can be quite economical until more permanent accommodations are found.

For the low skilled workers employers must pay for the transportation to and from Canada. In most cases the foreign worker must pay for their own transportation to Canada. We help make the necessary arrangements.

Spouses or common-law partners of skilled people coming to Canada as temporary foreign workers for more than 6 months (not low skilled workers) may receive an “open work permit” allowing them to work for any employer without first having a confirmed job offer. We usually recommend to the foreign worker to come to Canada alone at first to get established and later bring their families. This can reduce costs and stress for the foreign worker.

These provincial immigration programs enable foreign workers to get permanent residence faster. Usually employers file a joint application with the foreign worker after the worker has been working in Canada for them.