While onboarding contingent international talent is a competitive asset in a global economy, tapping into the international talent pool also carries compliance and administrative responsibilities in addition to domestic legislative and tax requirements that must be met in contingent workforce management. To remain competitive and compliant in 2022, organizations should adhere to strict processes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are the key steps to onboarding international employees in Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
International talent is driving a tech boom in Canada. Toronto, Ontario specifically, had the biggest growth of technology jobs of any North American city between 2013 and 2018. Vancouver placed within the top five, thanks in part to hiring international talent as part of remote and distributed teams. Attracting and onboarding global team members effectively helps companies build diverse, high-performing teams.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once your organization has attracted international talent, however, it\u2019s critical to verify compliance records and remain diligent in the collection, verification and management of these documents to remain compliant with local employment laws in Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re responsible for onboarding international hires at your organization, below are the 5 steps to take for global employee onboarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The second step in the international onboarding process should include a follow-up email sent to the potential new hires detailing the documentation requirements, including forms to confirm eligibility to work in the worksite country.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Required documentation includes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Government Issued photo ID. \u00a0
2. Current Work Permit\/Study Permit. \u00a0
3. A detailed and updated resume.\u00a0 \u00a0
4. Social Insurance Number documentation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the worker holds a study permit, confirmation of a co-op placement, a work letter from the school and a valid work permit are required. If the worker only holds a study permit, he or she may be restricted to working a maximum of 20 hours\/week as determined by permit restrictions and a co-op work letter must be requested.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. If the contingent worker holds an Implied Status, the following must be requested:\u00a0
\u2022 Expired work or study permit.\u00a0 \u00a0
\u2022 The expired Social Insurance Number. \u00a0
\u2022 Proof of Application. \u00a0
\u2022 Tracking number and payment receipt.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once identification documentation is received and uploaded into the Applicant Tracking System, it\u2019s recommended that the onboarding specialist should complete a video call to confirm the identity based on the ID and documentation provided.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third step in onboarding international talent should include a review of the documents for any restrictions and to validate the following:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When onboarding international talent, a 2-level approval review should be conducted by both the onboarding specialist as well as the organization\u2019s internal compliance team.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Level 1<\/strong> The onboarding specialist and the internal compliance team should then cross reference the contract dates and special considerations to ensure they match the conditions of the permit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once all documentation is uploaded into the Applicant Tracking System, the Human Resources Compliance Officer must review and validate that the permit or Implied Status is acceptable and meets legislative guidelines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Level 2<\/strong> A second audit should then be conducted by an internal Back-Office Support team following the same procedures as the Level 1 review process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once the international worker\u2019s application package is approved, he or she is ready to begin work. While the worker is on contract, it\u2019s important for the organization to generate monthly reviews of the Permit\/Implied Status to ensure regular follow ups on valid worker documentation.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The organization should also follow up on:\u00a0
Onboarding specialist review
To ensure all requirements are met, workers\u2019 documents should be collected using a Checklist and included in the worker\u2019s work permit application package. Once the permit application package is complete, the onboarding specialist should send the Checklist and all applicable documentation to an internal Human Resources Compliance Officer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Back-Office review
Once approval has been given by the Human Resources Compliance Officer, the onboarding specialist will ensure the work permit or Implied Status expiry date is entered into the Applicant Tracking System for reporting and tracking. <\/p>\n\n\n\nSTEP 5 – Completion: Follow Up and Renewals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 International workers on Implied Status every 30 days to determine the status of the application.\u00a0
\u2022 If approved, an onboarding specialist should revert to step 2 and repeat the onboarding process.\u00a0
\u2022 If any application is denied, the worker should be advised that he or she must leave the premises.\u00a0
\u2022 If a permit is expiring, the onboarding specialist notifies the worker and repeats the process from step 2.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nBuild Cohesive Global Teams with a Trusted Partner\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n