Alberta, Canada Closes it Doors in Hiring of OFWs

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is a government-run program in Canada that allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals when qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents are not available. Most foreign nationals apply to work in Alberta through the TFWP.

In the recent developments regarding the labour and skill supply in Alberta, Canada, it has been announced that the province has temporarily stopped the hiring of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and other foreign workers through the TFWP. This is to make way for the hiring of the existing local workers in the province who are enough to fill the current job vacancies.

As published on its website, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) stated that the local government of Alberta imposed a 2-year ban for its employers to hire foreign workers because they have enough skilled local workers.

These are the jobs that are banned for foreigners:

• Human resources managers
• Engineering managers
• Purchasing agents and officers
• Production logistics coordinators
• Civil engineers; Mechanical engineers
• Electrical and electronic engineers
• Geological and mineral technologists and technicians
• Civil engineering technologists and technicians
• Industrial engineering and manufacturing technologists and technicians
• Non-destructive testers and inspection technicians
• Contractors and supervisors
• Electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
• Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors
• Welders and related machine operators
• Electricians (except industrial and power system)
• Industrial electricians
• Plumbers
• Carpenters
• Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
• Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
• Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics
• Heavy-duty equipment mechanics; Motor vehicle body repairers
• Transport truck drivers
• Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services
• Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
• Oil and gas well drilling and related workers and services operators
• Oil and gas drilling, servicing and related laborers
• Petroleum, gas and chemical process operators

However, the POEA assured that the OFWs and other foreign workers, who belong to the categories and hired in Alberta prior to April 29, 2017, will not be affected by the ban.