Canada and Europe are officially subject to a free trade agreement (CETA). The agreement officially came into effect on September 21, 2017. This will have a significant impact on Ontario and Canada’s labour market.
While the agreement addresses trade in goods, including the reduction of customs and tariffs, a major part of the agreement addresses the movement of labour between the two regions. The agreement is specifically making it much easier for Europeans to work in Canada and for Canadians to work in Europe.
The agreement will help Canadian companies secure workers and provide Canadians with more opportunities to work within the European Union. The list of occupations affected by the agreement is significant including legal services, accounting, engineering services, computer occupations, research and development, business consulting, mining, construction, environment services and manufacturing.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has released instructions addressing the various areas of the new agreement: Canada-European Union Trade Agreement
