Ontario to ban requirements for Canadian work experience in job postings

The Ontario government is set to introduce legislation that would ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience in job postings or applications forms.

If passed, the new legislation would make Ontario the first province in the country to include provisions on Canadian experience in employment standards legislation.

The change would also help more qualified candidates progress in the interview process, and follows legislation that prohibits regulated professions from requiring discriminatory Canadian work experience requirements in licensing for more than 30 occupations. 

"For far too long, too many people arriving in Canada have been funneled toward dead-end jobs they're overqualified over, said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

Too many people that have came to our province have been funnelled toward dead-end jobs they’re overqualified for.

That's simply unacceptable.

Under @fordnation, we're banning the use of Canadian work experience as a requirement in job postings or application forms. pic.twitter.com/deudaz0nlV

— David Piccini (@DavidPiccini) November 9, 2023

"We need to ensure these people can land well-paying and rewarding careers that help tackle the labour shortage. When newcomers to Ontario get a meaningful chance to contribute, everyone wins." 

This year, the province will nominate 16,500 immigrants for permanent residence through the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) in several critical sectors, including health care and the skilled trades. 

At the request of the province, the OINP's allocation from the federal government is set to double from 9,000 in 2021 to over 18,000 by 2025. 

The provincial government is also proposing changes that would increase the number of international students in Ontario eligible to apply to the OINP by revising requirements for hundreds of one-year college graduate certificate programs. 

According to the province, research has shown that helping internationally-trained newcomers work in the professions they studied for could increase Ontario's GDP by up to $100 billion over five years.