Struggling with a labor shortage, the Canadian maritime industry is eyeing Ukrainian workers for reinforcements. Despite a patent recognition agreement signed two months ago by Transport Canada, Ukrainian sailors are still waiting for their visa to be able to come and work here.
Coming from a family with sea legs — his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were captains — Alexandre Jourdain wanted to get his hands dirty. For the past month, he has been moving heaven and earth to help a group of fifteen engineers and naval officers who wish to come and work in Canada with their families. Between emails and calls to the office of the federal Minister of Transport and those addressed to the human resources of various shipping companies, Alexandre Jourdain keeps the hopes of his proteges with whom he communicates on social networks afloat. “It helps these people and it also helps companies that have shown interest,” he says.
But unraveling the administrative procedures is a real hassle. Alexandre Jourdain has learned this the hard way in recent weeks. “I ran around like a chicken without a head. My family is in the middle, I know who to write to and how to seek information, but I dare not imagine someone who does not speak English or who does not have the contacts, “says the analyst main data manager, who considers himself the “black sheep” of the family.
Some Ukrainian sailors in his group already have a job promise, but they will first have to obtain the temporary residence permit before going any further, which is the most difficult step at the moment, observes Mr. Jourdain. “Some guys are in Poland, Romania, and most of them have been waiting for their immigration papers for a month or two. It’s first come, first served,” he said. “Priority is not necessarily given to someone who is the breadwinner of the family. But when you are a sailor, the wife often stays at home and you are often the only salary. Guys tell me they have to ask for help. It takes you to the heart and throat. »
Yuriy Shestakov is a marine engineer who has worked all his life on ships in international waters. Currently a refugee in Poland with his wife and their three-year-old twins, he is in the process of hiring with a company in Canada, where he would now like to settle. “Why do I want to move to Canada? To offer a better future to my children”, launched on the tone of the evidence the man originating from Odessa.
A few hours before talking to the To have to, he learned that his house had been destroyed. “Now I am realistic. Even if the war ended, what would I do there? he said, a sob in his voice.
After a stay in Brazil at the start of the war to support his family, Mr. Shestakov has just obtained Canadian visas for himself and his entire family, a process of less than a month which will have been quick in his case. However, he still has to apply for certification from Transport Canada, which should only be a formality since he has already found an employer. “I would like to obtain permanent residency,” he said. I hope that after three years in Canada, I will not be asked to move again. »
A welcome agreement
The Quebec company Transport Desgagnés says it is in conversation with “a dozen Ukrainians”, namely officers and machinery operators, who could come and meet the needs. “But we will first make sure that there are no Canadian sailors available to fill these positions”, underlines Serge Le Guellec, the president and general manager. As a shipowner, his responsibility is to confirm to Transport Canada that the certificates have indeed been issued by Ukrainian authorities. “On that, we have arrangements and we are well in control. But it’s more of a challenge to get through the immigration process,” he says, affirming however that the process put in place by governments is “helpful”.
Since March 30, under a mutual agreement between Canada and Ukraine, such as the one signed with Australia, France and Norway, Ukrainian sailors holding an STCW certificate (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) valid and issued by Ukraine — not Russia — can now apply for a Canadian visa. The latter may not, however, exceed the duration of the validity of said patent.
“It’s good news,” says Bruce Burrows, president and CEO of the Chamber of Maritime Commerce, who has been asking Transport Canada for years to establish reciprocal agreements with other countries to mitigate the effects of labor shortage. Mr. Le Guellec is also of this opinion. “For example, for the east of the country, if we had the equivalent of a hundred navigation officers or mechanics who could come and work with different shipowners, that would give us some leeway in the event of absence. »
Navigation in the Arctic, whose season starts at the end of June and stretches until the beginning of November, could be partially compromised. “We hope to be able to count on these Ukrainian officers there for the start of the Arctic season,” said Mr. Le Guellec.
Even if the steps have been simplified and the process accelerated, it will be necessary to act quickly, because the foreign sailors will all have to receive several weeks of training to know how to operate the boats according to the maritime requirements of the different rivers. “It is not because they are in Canada at the beginning of July that they will be able to immediately take navigation mandates. »
According to Transport Canada, 37 applications for patent certification have been received and are in various stages of processing. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada indicates that 70% of Ukrainian visa applications are processed in 14 days, plus biometrics. Since March 17, of the 241,620 visa applications, 112,035 have been approved.