“Temporary foreign workers are helping to fill a critical need in our province,” says Iris Evans, Alberta’s minister of employment, immigration and industry. “It is essential that they are treated fairly.”

These workers are protected by the same laws as other Alberta workers, she says, but they may be more vulnerable to exploitation. For example, they may be unfamiliar with Alberta law.

“The steps we are taking,” she says, “will allow us to be more proactive in our enforcement activities and will ensure these workers have somewhere to go when they need help.”

The Immigrate to Alberta web portal, www.alberta-canada.com/immigration, is a destination for information on opportunities in Alberta, the immigration process and getting settled in the province.

The province’s two temporary foreign worker advisory offices, the first of their kind in Canada, will provide one-stop access to information and services for temporary workers.

The programs will help resolve employment standards or occupational health and safety issues, and other support concerns that fall outside employment standards and workplace safety such as housing issues and illegal recruitment fees. They’ll be referred to and followed up by the appropriate authorities.

Offices are located in Edmonton and Calgary and can be accessed by phone or in person.

Experienced employment standards officers—four in Edmonton and four in Calgary—have also been appointed to investigate complaints from temporary foreign workers, as well as carry out inspections of companies that employ them. These inspections will ensure foreign workers receive their wages, overtime, general holiday and vacation pay.

Non-compliance with employment standards could result in orders, audits and/or prosecutions, though a majority of employers do comply with the law. Where there are contraventions, most employers tend to work with the officers to correct the situation. Education is a key component of the program.

Employers and employees will be offered the opportunity to participate in an employment standards workshop.  Cost of the advisory offices and inspectors is $1 million annually. An additional $700,000 will be invested to promote these new services to temporary foreign workers and their employers.

The provincial government has launched the new on-line immigration website to attract new immigrants to Alberta and help new arrivals make a smoother transition to their new home.

“Alberta has so much to offer,” Evans said. “We want newcomers to choose Alberta and we want to make it easier for them to navigate the immigration process. This portal provides a single window into information about coming to Alberta.”

The site brings together information on securing work, finding a place to live, improving English skills and accessing everyday services like health care, transportation and education. It also provides vital links to the federal government, local immigrant serving agencies and other resources for newcomers.

A variety of stakeholders, including immigrant serving agencies, were consulted during the portal’s development and provided advice on priority resources and on its overall usability. The provincial government will continue to expand and improve the portal over the coming years, supported by a three-year $1.2-million funding agreement from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

The agreement allows for the development of more content, tools and services promoting the province as a destination and helping immigrants integrate once they arrive, both socially and economically. The federal government recognizes the importance of helping immigrant families succeed.

“We are committed to helping newcomers settle and prosper in Canada,” says Diane Finley, federal minister of citizenship and immigration. “With each region of our country having its own unique characteristics and opportunities, Alberta’s online resources will help immigrants as they arrive and settle in the province.”