Legal immigrant consultants unhappy with new rules

An organization representing licensed immigration consultants has criticized the new provincial rules which are made to protect workers from overseas and said that the rules may well result in a reduction in flow of immigrants into Manitoba.

From the 1st of April, companies which have till now been charging foreign workers money to find their way through the immigration system of Canada will not be allowed to do so and will be barred to even act as labor recruiters in the province.

The Manitoba chairman of the Canadian Migration Institute claims that in spite of the fact that the main motive behind the new Work Recruitment and Protection Act is to get hold of corrupt agents who victimize people trying to leave their countries, the legislation will also have negative impact on legal firms.

Manitoba CMI chairman Frank Goldberg, who is the owner of a consulting firm as well as a recruitment agency, said that employers of Manitoba might not be willing to pay legal recruiters if they are not able to know about prospective employees backgrounds as will be the case now.

Goldberg claimed that as a result of this, fewer numbers of immigrants will be arriving in Manitoba at a time when the province is boasting on the success of its PNP i.e. Provincial Nominee Program.

He said that he is completely in favor of any legislation or act which cracks down on illegal recruiters and makes work tougher for them, but said that in the current situation the implementation is wrong as even the legal recruiters are on the receiving end. Claiming that he along with other consultants are left is limbo, he queried as to what he shall do now.

Licensed immigration consultants in Canada assist immigrants to find their way through the immigration system of Canada. Goldberg said that there are only nine licensed immigration consultants in Manitoba and some lawyers, who also provide similar services to immigrants.

However, at the same time recruitment agencies are allowed to charge money from employers to provide them foreign workers. Labor and Immigration Minister of Manitoba, Nancy Allan, said that province took the decision to license the recruiters after it learnt that there were large numbers of foreign workers who were paying money for getting jobs. In fact some of the recruitment agencies used to charge money from workers just for the privilege of getting them to Manitoba, Allan added.

He said that the province is committed towards establishing a fair playing field.