Daily BrewCanada to play immigration matchmaker, but romance is not guaranteed
Welcome to Matchmaker Canada, the game show where skilled international workers are paired with Canadian employers in a wacky contest of hope, change and immigration que jumping. Our host today is Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.
In a year-end interview with the Globe and Mail, Kenney outlined his government's plan to set up a matchmaker service for would-be migrants.
They’ll go into this pool, and then employers or my department and or provinces will be able to fish out of that pool... It’s like a dating site.
This would be the latest update to Canada’s immigration system. As Andy Radia explains on the Yahoo! Canada News Political Points blog, Kenny has been streamlining the system to favour skilled, younger immigrants and those who speak English or French.
[ Related: Kenney says foreign engineers, doctors no longer need ‘to drive cabs’ ]
Under the new matchmaker service, skilled workers who want to move to Canada would post their details, and employers in need of talent could mine the database and streamline the immigration process for anyone who matches their demand.
Instead of sitting in a queue for years, those workers could be a permanent resident of Canada within months of being matched with a job. As the cherry on top of the new immigration system, the idea tastes more sweet than sour.
But there are inherent risks involved in luring workers to Canada with the promise of a guaranteed job. What if the person and job do not mesh well? Imagine if Plenty of Fish promised you a great date, but you have to move halfway around the world before you could meet the guy or gal. Chances are slim that all your dreams will come true.
Kenney’s plan would put the onus on the government to ensure a soft landing for anyone using the site. Would those workers, and their families, become wards of the state if the job doesn’t work out? Would they be evicted, like a losing reality show contestant?
[ Related: New refugee fast-track could hurt legitimate claimants ]
Not only that, but shouldn't such a matchmaking service be available for Canadians seeking employment as well?
The idea of a job site to help people find work seems like a decent-enough idea. It is surprising the government doesn't already have something in place.
