Recently Canada announced that it would make it easier to hire international workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. Moreover, it will also supply more incentives for candidates due to Canadian labour shortages. The TFW program allows employers to employ international workers after proving that there are no permanent residents or Canadian citizens to do the job. In this case, employers must get an LMIA approval before hiring. In a recent press release, the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, announced some adjustments to the TFW program to recover the Canadian economy after the COVID-19 crisis to meet the labour market needs. Those improvements aim to build a strong economy in all sectors and address labour shortages. According to Statistics Canada, last year, the top four sectors with more unfilled vacancies were:

Accommodation and Food Services
Health Care and Social Assistance
Retail Trade
Manufacturing

Changes Under the TFW Program

Here is a summary of the main changes. Some are effective immediately, while others will start on April 30. Effective immediately:

“There will no longer be a limit to the number of low-wage positions in seasonal industries, such as fish and seafood processing, can fill through the TFW program. In addition, people in these positions can now have a longer work — from 180 days to 270 days per year”.

“Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) are now valid for double the previous period. This is a document that employers must hold to prove they’re hiring an international worker since no permanent residents or citizens are available for the job”.

“Before the pandemic, LMIAs only remained valid for six months. However, this was extended to nine months during the pandemic, and now the document will be valid for 18 months”.

“In addition, the maximum duration of employment for High-Wage and Global Talent Streams workers will also become longer. It was extended from two to three years. Making it easier for foreign workers to qualify for their permanent residency”.

Changes Starting on April 30

“Employers in sectors with labour shortages will be authorized to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the TFW program for low-wage positions for a year”.
“Other positions beyond these sectors will also get more benefits. Earlier, employers could hire a maximum of 10% of their workforce through the TFW program. However, this number is increasing to 20%”.
“Additionally, the Canadian approach of auto-refusing LMIA applications for low-wage workers will end Accommodation Food Services and Retail Trade. It will only happen in areas where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher”.
“They are also implementing measures to improve the capacity to expedite LMIA applications”.

Moreover, ESDC will rebuild the TFW compliance control to protect TFWs satisfactorily. Then, continuous activities to support ESDC’s risk-based approach to target higher-risk employers include: TFW inspection tools to leverage its line service. It allows workers to flag any situation of abuse or misuse of the program and expands its work with consulates to recognize concerns that need quick attention. In 2021, the Canadian government announced a budget of $49.5 million dedicated to supporting migrant workers for three years. In addition, community-based organizations will invest funds to provide migrant worker programs and services, such as on-arrival orientation and emergency and at-risk assistance.