November 3, 2015
CIC Introduces the Employer Portal
Following our previous blog introducing International Mobility Program (IMP) changes, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has now introduced a new “Employer Portal” as a method for receiving and processing employer compliance forms and fees. Under this system, each employer is provided with a unique, secure credential user ID which is linked to their own portal accounts.
Previously, employers were required to complete the IMM 5802 Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt form and, once completed, send it to CIC using the email submission method. CIC had to receive the Offer of Employment form prior to the application for the foreign national’s work permit.
Similar to the Express Entry system, the information required under the Employer Portal is entered by completing various online questions. Most of the information required corresponds with the previous IMM 5802 form, consisting of request for the employer’s business information, the foreign worker’s information, job details and wage for the proposed position. Once the compliance fee and all information required are submitted, the system will generate an “offer of employment ID number”.
This ID number is then provided to the prospective worker to be included in their application form.
CIC has announced that new versions of work permit forms will be introduced in November 2015 which will include a field to enter the offer of employment ID number. Officers reviewing work permit applications have also been instructed to compare the offer of employment information against the information set out in the work permit application. It is therefore imperative that there are no inconsistencies or inaccuracies within application documents to ensure work permits are not refused.
Employers who have already provided a completed form via the former system to a foreign worker must ensure that the worker submits their work permit application prior to November 21st, 2015. If the application has not been submitted by the foreign worker before this date, the employer will be required to resubmit the Offer of Employer through the new Employer Portal system. Until November 12, 2015, employers who do not need to pay the employer compliance fee can also continue to submit the offer of employment form to CIC directly by email.
Employers are encouraged to start the necessary enrollment, document collection and submission for LMIA-exempt workers well in advance of their travel dates to Canada. Under the Employer Portal, employers will be able to view all previous LMIA-exempt offers of employment submitted by them. Employers should carefully review and confirm the information being submitted prior to submission on their Employer Portal, as the content of the offer of employment may be used on future inspections by government authorities.
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