Canada pilots streamlining issuance of work permits for Philippine citizens

Ottawa – Canada recently a pilot programme called “CAN Work Philippines” to issue work permits to people from the Philippines to work in the country.

It is expected to help the Canadian companies hire workers they need to effectively fill jobs and grow the economy via the visa office in Manila.

Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller said the pilot will streamline work permit processing for eligible Canadian employers. It is open to Canadian employers hiring approximately 50 or more workers, or engaging in critical occupations in sectors such as health care, construction and agri-food.

The Philippines is an important partner of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and a major source of newcomers to Canada.

In the first half of this year, 1 in 10 Temporary Foreign Worker Programme work permits were issued to Philippine nationals.

In June, Canada announced expanded access to its Electronic Travel Authorisation Programme to include the Philippines, giving more Philippine people access to visa-free travel by air.

The Philippines’ rescue force on August 27 said that hundreds of people were forced to leave their homes as floods unleashed by super typhoon Saola swept through mainly rural villages in the northwestern region of the country.

The Philippines has imposed ceilings on rice prices across the country amid an “alarming” increase in retail costs of the staple grain and reports of hoarding by traders.

The Philippines is considering options other than a price ceiling to tackle high rice prices, the country’s National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has said.