Canada launched a Workforce Solutions Road Map to make changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) and address Canadian employers' critical labour shortages and protect foreign workers. WSRP launched on April 4 to boost Canada's immigration efforts to fill record-high job vacancies, historically low unemployment and one of the tightest labour markets in decades. The goal of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is to fill short-term labour shortages. It is a last resort for employers to fill jobs for which qualified Canadians are not available.
5 Policy Changes to the TFW Program
The Workforce Solutions Road Map introduces five new policy changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Effective April 4
- Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will be valid for 18 months, increasing from 9 months.
- The seasonal cap exemption for TFW is now permanent. There will no longer be a limit to the number of low-wage positions that employers in seasonal industries, such as fish and seafood processing, can fill through the TFW Program.
- The maximum duration of employment for High-Wage and Global Talent Streams workers will be extended from 2 years to 3 years.
Effective April 30 - Employers will be allowed to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions for one year in 7 sectors facing a severe labour crisis.
- All other employers will be allowed to hire up to 20% of their workforce through the TFW Program for low-wage positions until further notice, an increase from the former 10% cap for many employers.
- Automatic refusals of LMIA applications for low-wage occupations in the Accommodation and Food Services and Retail Trade sectors in regions with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher will be ended.
In July 2021, Canada released new proposed regulations to help prevent the mistreatment or abuse of temporary foreign workers in Canada.
About the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
According to a press release by Employment and Social Development Canada:
- The TFW Program allows employers in Canada to hire a foreign worker when no Canadians or permanent residents are available.
- In 2021, the TFW Program approved approximately 5,000 positions under the Global Talent Stream and 23,000 positions in the High-Wage stream, approximately 21% of all approved LMIA positions in 2021.
- 50,000 to 60,000 foreign agricultural workers work in Canada each year, more than 60% of all foreign workers entering Canada under the TFW Program.
Some of the popular TFW programs are the
- Live-in Caregiver Program
- Seasonal Agricultural Programs
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- Intra-Company Transfer
Do You Want to Move to Canada as a Temporary Foreign Worker?
To talk to an experienced immigration professional about your eligibility to move to Canada as a temporary foreign worker, contact Ackah Business Immigration Law today at (403) 452-9515 or email us directly.
