By Gerald V. Paul
Jamaica’s Labour Minister Derrick Kellier has appealed to the Canadian Government to lift the visa requirement for seasonal farm workers in Canada. Kellier made the request to High Commissioner of Canada to Jamaica Robert Ready at the opening of the annual review meeting for the Canada’s Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural programme being held in Montego Bay.
He argued that the removal of the visa requirement will ensure the quick dispatch of workers for the programme. The Labour Minister said although the Canadian High Commissioner does its best to facilitate Jamaican workers, the process would have been faster and smoother if there no visa requirement.
While he acknowledged that there must be checks and balances to ensure that certain requirements are met, the Labour Minister pointed out that since the visa requirement has been introduce for the agricultural workers, it has slowed the process somewhat.
Kellier encouraged High Commissioner Ready to think about the suggestion, while stating that he intends to discuss the matter further.