Alberta Pork, in conjunction with Alberta Agriculture and Food and Service Canada, has established an Expedited LMO Program that will drastically speed up the process of obtaining a Labour Market Opinion. Obtaining an LMO document is the first stage in the process of employing a worker from overseas. 

The Alberta Pork website is currently being updated in order to provide producers with all the information they need to understand the processes involved in recruiting and employing a foreign worker, including how to complete the LMO application form.

The process involves Alberta Pork receiving completed LMO applications from producers and checking them to ensure they are correct prior to forwarding them to Service Canada. In this way, it will provide a means of “quality control” so that all applications are of the required standard, allowing them to be processed quickly. Producers are, of course, free to make an application directly to Service Canada, who will deal with it in the normal manner, points out Alberta Pork.

In order to assist producers further, a database of foreign workers who have been interviewed in their country is being established in order to provide a pool of suitable candidates, initially from the Philippines, Mexico and Europe. Producers will be offered a shortlist of candidates depending on the job position and the skills and experience required.

Bernie Peet, of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd., has been contracted to assist with this project and will be carrying out the day-to-day work on behalf of Alberta Pork. Alberta Agriculture and Food has provided funding for the project. For further information, please contact Stuart McKie of Alberta Pork – Phone: (780) 491-3527  Cell: (780) 307-5853, or Bernie Peet, Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. – Phone: (403) 782-3776  Cell: (403) 392-3104