By CBC News | Link to Article
Representatives of Canada’s film and TV industry met with Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in Vancouver Wednesday to discuss recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
By CBC News | Link to Article
Representatives of Canada’s film and TV industry met with Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in Vancouver Wednesday to discuss recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The Canadian Media Production Association and the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia representatives say the reforms have lumped them into the same category as employers who hire foreign low-skilled workers in the fast-food industry.
Foreign actors and directors who want to film in Canada are also being subject to a $1,000 fee per worker and a 15-day waiting period to obtain a work permit, under new rules unveiled by the federal government at the end of June.
Shawn Williamson, the president of Brightlight Pictures in Vancouver, which produces such shows such as Fox’s Witches of East End, told CBC News if U.S. movie stars and their directors can’t come to Canada quickly enough, then they risk losing their business to other countries.
“We only have so many days to prep and so many days to shoot. And if we can’t facilitate permits within that period of time, it will make it very challenging for them to greenlight shows coming to Canada.”
Williamson said while the $1,000 fee required to hire a foreign worker is perceived as “a cash grab,” the primary concern is the delay in having a work permit issued for foreign workers who in turn hire hundreds of Canadian crew to work on their sets.
“What we’re looking for is some sort of a fix that will allow us to go back to a two- to three-day turnaround…I’m confident that the government will see the financial benefit,” Williamson said.
But speaking in Vancouver to gathered journalists, Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said the reforms should actually make the process of acquiring a work permit for foreign workers quicker.
“In those cases where there is a real need that Canadians can’t be found to fill, the service will actually be faster than ever,” said the minister.
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