Temporary foreign workers: growing or shrinking dependency?

In 2024, a great deal of controversy has been generated behind the Temporary Foreign Worker Program in Canada, as in recent years the demand for this labour force increased in various sectors ranging from the fast food industry to construction, but already this year these hires are being controlled to reduce the country's economy-temporary foreign worker dependency. 

This article addresses a topic that is understood statistically, so that foreigners looking to work temporarily in Canada are aware of the current landscape of the TFWP economic program, which is associated with the positive labour impact assessment (LMIA) and its inherent closed (single-employer) work permit, and which from being on the rise for five years is now being reduced, as announced by Minister Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. 

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From the Immigration department of Immiland I will accompany you in the reading and at the end of the blog you will have access to the contact links to clarify your doubts. Let's get started.

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From a hike to hire temporary foreign employees to program reduction

According to data from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), the entity that protects Canadian workers and preserves their optimal quality of life, there has been a marked increase in labour demand and a major expansion of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program reflected in the authorization in 2023 for employers to hire 239,646 TFWs, more than double the 108,988 approvals in 2018. 

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This increase coincided with the government's decision to relax hiring restrictions to alleviate post-pandemic labour shortages. However, opponents of this upward trend argue that it ultimately ends up hurting the workers themselves and minimizes the pay of Canada's own employees. This prompted the recent news on August 26, 2024 of changes to the program, which will take effect September 26, 2024. 

Important: if you want to know the impact of these changes on your status as a temporary foreign worker, you can watch this explanatory video. Please read on.

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Has the experience of temporary foreign workers been positive in recent years?

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The experiences of TFWs in Canada are diverse. It must be taken into account that since it is a program that seeks to fill labour shortages quickly and given the government's approval to authorize low-wage hiring for TFWs, it often happens that some employers take advantage of people who want to emerge beyond what their country of origin allows them and pay them very little or do not respect their labour rights, and these workers, in order to improve their situation, apply for a closed work permit without knowing what kind of boss they will get, remaining tied to that particular employer without being able to break the contract until it ends. Many TFWs are even exploited, but for fear of reprisals and losing their status, they prefer to remain silent. 

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Important: this is very sad to happen. No immigrant who supports the country with his or her workforce should allow this to mark his or her experience in Canada. If you feel vulnerable in your job, seek professional advice. At Immiland, we can help you protect your employment rights. Schedule advice.

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On the other hand, there are also workers who have the joy of building positive experiences with their employers, who even support them by facilitating the path to permanent residency for them and their families and can fill in-demand positions. 

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What specific positions are most labour intensive?

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The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is dominated by agricultural and greenhouse sector items, but has seen significant growth in other areas whose positions I mention below:

• Administrative assistants: employers went from requesting 287 LMIAs in 2018 to 3337 in 2023. 
• Light duty cleaners and construction trade helpers: LMIA approvals increased to 3043 and 5353, respectively.
• Cooks, food service supervisors and food counter assistants: fast food chains and restaurants have become large TFW employers in these roles. The number of approved positions for food counter assistants skyrocketed from 170 in 2018 to 8333 in 2023. 

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At Immiland, we have forged good relationships with companies and employers in Canada that are very serious and committed to the economic expansion of the country through immigration. In addition, we are a CNESST authorized agency under the AR-21019410 permit to hire temporary workers. See employment opportunities.

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Thank you for reading. I hope this topic has been helpful and allows you to get a glimpse of your temporary stay while working in Canada. If you have questions and concerns about your immigration case, you can write to us at info@immilandcanada.com and a regulated consultant will help you.

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With love,

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Immiland Canada