In September 2007, the Expedited LMO Pilot Project (“E-LMO Pilot Project”) was put into place to facilitate the entry of foreign workers in Alberta and British Columbia by reducing application processing time from five months to five business days for employers in designated occupations. The E-LMO Pilot Project covers 33 occupations for which it has been established that employers have been struggling to find new employees for open positions.
However, starting March 16, 2009, employers in Canada seeking to hire foreign workers using the E-LMO Pilot Project will be required to submit a questionnaire with their E-LMO applications. The new questionnaire will require employers to provide detailed information about recent lay-offs and departures of Canadian workers, as well as permanent residents and temporary foreign workers.
This information will be assessed for the purpose of ensuring that Canadians and permanent residents continue to be considered first for job vacancies and to help substantiate whether there is a legitimate need for temporary foreign workers.