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The U.S., which could kill NAFTA altogether, has not addressed labour mobility in the first rounds of talks and negotiators have not publicly divulged whether Canada has made any progress on its desire to expand the occupations list.

Freeland was not available for an interview, but foreign affairs press secretary Adam Austen said in a statement that updating labour mobility commitments is a key priority.

“Currently, some key sectors, like IT, are not covered whatsoever by commitments on temporary entry,” he said. “It is our hope that negotiations will further the ability of highly-skilled workers to capitalize on opportunities in the North American market.”

Businesses on both sides of the border love these visas because they make it easier and faster to hire workers, since they don’t require an assessment to prove the necessity of a foreign worker, said Stephen Cryne, chief executive of the Canadian Employee Relocation Council (CERC).

A lot of companies rely on this in order to move their people back and forth between the two countries

CERC represents businesses including the top five banks, major oil and gas companies and financial services firms.

“A lot of companies rely on this in order to move their people back and forth between the two countries,” Cryne said, adding this is particularly so in high-tech hot spots such as Toronto and Vancouver.

Businesses on both sides of the border want to update the list instead of trying to squeeze new professions such as data analysts or computer engineers into old categories. U.S. trade negotiators understand that need, but it’s difficult, if not impossible, to detach the visas from the immigration issue.