Curbing B.C.’s growing labour shortage

(Feb. 13/12) On Feb. 4, CRFA met with the B.C. Immigration Task Force to reinforce restaurant industry immigration messages. We also praised the provincial government for converting the hospitality industry semi-skilled pilot into a permanent Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stream last fall.

CRFA recommendations
We recommended the province encourage the federal government to significantly increase the number of B.C. PNP nominees and introduce a semi-skilled pilot under the Canadian Experience Class immigration program. We also recommended that both levels of government work to ensure federal and provincial immigration programs are better integrated and application processes made easier – this would help more small businesses access foreign workers to ease growing labour shortages in certain occupations and geographic regions of the province.