Canadian government announces 5 new changes to temporary foreign worker programs

The Canadian government announced 5 new measures to the temporary foreign worker program on April 4. These measures are meant to address Canada’s labor shortage. Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, made the following announcements.

• LMIAs (Labour Market Impact Assessments) will now be valid for 18 months, up from nine months. LMIAs are documents that demonstrate to the Canadian government that an employed foreign worker will not negatively impact the labour market. Before the pandemic, LMIAs were only valid for six months.
• In addition, the maximum work term for High-Wage and Global Talent Stream employees will be expanded from two to three years. Through this extension, workers will be able to qualify for more paths to permanent residency, enabling them to contribute long-term to the Canadian workforce.
• A final change to occur immediately will be the permanent removal of caps on TFWs in seasonal industries such as fishing and seafood processing. Furthermore, seasonal workers are now able to work for 270 days per year, up from 180.
• On April 30, more changes are also slated to take effect, including allowing companies with labour shortages to hire up to 30 percent of their workforce through the TFWP for low-wage positions for one year. Qualifying industries include:
  • Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311);
  • Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321);
  • Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (NAICS 337);
  • Accommodation and Food Services (NAICS 72);
  • Construction (NAICS 23);
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622); and
  • Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (NAICS 623).

Meanwhile, 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. Previously, most employers had a cap of 10 percent.

• In a final change to take effect on April 30, Canada will eliminate its policy that automatically rejects 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.

“Throughout the pandemic, our government has ensured the safe arrival and priority processing of work permits for temporary foreign workers who were essential in supporting us on the front lines. Now, as we begin to recover from the pandemic and look to fill remaining job vacancies, we will continue to make our Temporary Foreign Worker Program more accessible, efficient and agile to support employers who are looking to staff up and grow their operations.” 

– Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser