Move an attempt to 'ensure integrity' of program, says Ottawa
Employers in Montreal who turn to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program to fill low-wage jobs will temporarily lose the resource starting next month.
That’s because the federal government will freeze the approval of new temporary foreign workers in jobs paying below Quebec’s median hourly wage starting next month, reported CBC.
The processing of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications will be suspended for six months, starting on Sept. 3, for job offers with wages below $27.47 per hour, according to the report.
The move is the federal government’s attempt to "ensure the integrity” of the program, Ottawa said, according to the CBC report.
Previously, Quebec Premier François Legault talked about holding a “referendum” on immigration if the federal government doesn’t act fast to control the rising number of temporary immigrants, said CTV News. The premier claimed the number of immigrants is straining Quebec’s healthcare, education and housing systems.
However, it’s the government’s “lack of political will to improve” the immigration system in the province that’s a problem, according to Melissa Claisse, communications and advocacy coordinator at the Welcome Collective, in the report.
“We’re pretty alarmed by the insistence of the provincial government to make immigrant scapegoats for problems that existed a long time, in some cases decades,” she said.
From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, the federal government agency issued $2.1 million in Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) to employers found to be non-compliant with the rules of the program. That is up by approximately 36 per cent from the prior fiscal year, when $1.54 million in administrative monetary penalties were issued.
Ottawa is also enforcing consistent application of the 20 per cent cap policy for temporary foreign workers, and applying stricter and more rigorous oversight in high-risk areas when processing LMIAs and when conducting inspections.
Controversies with Temporary Foreign Worker program
Earlier this year, the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) called on the federal government to close the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) under the TFW program as it is being exploited by low-wage employers.
And recently, a United Nations (UN) report said that the program “serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, as it institutionalizes asymmetries of power that favour employers and prevent workers from exercising their rights.”
Obokata made the same claim in September 2023 after a 14-day visit to Canada.
The TFW program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when qualified Canadians are not available.
This program is regulated through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations and is administered in partnership with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
