Latest news with #TFWP
Toronto Sun
22-07-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
CHARLEBOIS: Time for Canadians to serve themselves
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program for food service has run its course as a generation of young Canadians has been pushed to the sidelines A food service cashier at work. Photo by Getty Images The federal government's recent overhaul of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) for food service has prompted predictable outcry from restaurant operators. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account As of January 2025, new caps limit TFWs to just 10% of a food service business's workforce — down from 20% or more in recent years — and shorten work permits from two years to one. But this policy shift is not punitive. It reflects an overdue economic recalibration. Put plainly, the TFWP in food service has run its course. This is a rational policy correction, not regulatory overreach. Youth unemployment in Canada, particularly among those aged 15 to 24, now stands at 14.2% — a sharp indicator that domestic labour is available but being overlooked. That's roughly one in seven young Canadians looking for work but unable to find it. Meanwhile, the sector continues to rely heavily on imported labour for entry-level roles that, with the right conditions, could and should be filled by Canadians. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The TFWP was designed as a stopgap — an emergency tool for employers unable to find domestic workers. In many industries, such as agriculture and seafood processing, that rationale still holds. But in food service — particularly in urban and suburban markets — it has become something else: A structural labour strategy aimed at suppressing wages, lowering turnover, and sidestepping long-term investments in human capital. The numbers tell the story. In 2021, according to Statistics Canada, about 140,000 temporary residents — many under the TFWP — were employed in accommodation and food services, accounting for 17% of all temporary foreign workers in Canada. That same year, foreign nationals represented roughly 10% of the overall food service workforce. In certain quick-service chains, the concentration was even higher, effectively displacing Canadian youth from traditional workforce entry points. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Between 2018 and 2023, employer approvals for low-wage food service positions through the TFWP surged more than 4,800%. This is no longer a temporary fix — it is institutional dependency. The economic cost is subtle but significant: A generation of young Canadians has been pushed to the sidelines. Historically, more than one-quarter of Canadians began their working lives in food service or hospitality. These jobs have long served as a training ground for interpersonal skills, time management, and resilience — essential soft skills for the broader labour market. We've now outsourced that social utility to temporary labour. Read More This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is not to dismiss the complexity of the restaurant sector. Since 2020, the number of food service establishments in Canada has dropped from more than 100,000 to about 87,000, reflecting the deep and lasting impact of the pandemic. Margins remain tight. Menu prices are rising. But consumer behaviour hasn't collapsed — in fact, it's evolved. In 2025, according to Canada's Food Sentiment Index released by Dalhousie University, Canadians are spending 39% of their food budget at restaurants (up from 37% in 2023), and average monthly per capita spending has hit $198 — a record. The demand is there. Canadians are still showing up, despite rising costs. If operators are required to raise wages to attract local workers, evidence suggests diners will continue to foot the bill. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Still, labour costs are only part of the equation. Governments could provide relief by adjusting fiscal and regulatory pressures. Automation is another worthy option. But relying indefinitely on temporary labour to balance the books is poor economics. The TFWP still has a role to play in select industries with clear recruitment challenges, but its use in food service — particularly in areas with ample domestic labour — should be phased out. Wage suppression is not a growth strategy. Neither is sidelining Canadian youth from their first real economic opportunity. This is about building a more resilient, equitable and sustainable food service sector — one that serves Canadians and is staffed by them too. — Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast. He is currently a visiting scholar at McGill University in Montreal. Sunshine Girls Canada Sunshine Girls Columnists Celebrity
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
30-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Canada lifts wage bar for temp workers by 4%; Indian immigrants face impact
Canada has raised the wage thresholds for employers and foreign workers applying under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), a change that could affect thousands of Indians already working or hoping to work in the country. The new wage requirements came into force on June 27, 2025. Employers submitting a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)—a mandatory step for most work permit applications under the TFWP—must now meet higher wage benchmarks across nearly all provinces and territories. In 2023, over 188,500 people held TFWP work permits in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. India topped the list with 41,115 permits. What's changed and how it works The updated wage threshold determines which stream a worker and employer fall under—either high-wage or low-wage. The distinction affects the application process and available pathways. • If the wage being offered meets or exceeds the threshold for a particular province, the application falls under the high-wage stream. • If it falls below, it must go through the low-wage stream, which faces additional restrictions. Here's how the thresholds have changed across provinces: Alberta: From CAD 35.40 to CAD 36.00 British Columbia: From CAD 34.62 to CAD 36.60 Ontario: From CAD 34.07 to CAD 36.00 Quebec: From CAD 32.96 to CAD 34.62 Manitoba: From CAD 30.00 to CAD 30.16 Saskatchewan: From CAD 32.40 to CAD 33.60 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island: All raised from CAD 28.80–28.85 to CAD 30.00 Newfoundland and Labrador: From CAD 31.20 to CAD 32.40 Yukon: From CAD 43.20 to CAD 44.40 Northwest Territories: From CAD 47.09 to CAD 48.00 Nunavut remained unchanged at CAD 42.00 The current exchange rate is approximately 1 Canadian dollar to 61 Indian rupees, which means a wage threshold of CAD 36.00 in provinces like Alberta or Ontario amounts to around ₹2,200 per hour. Freeze on low-wage applications in high-unemployment areas Employers in areas with unemployment rates above 6 per cent are already barred from applying for low-wage LMIAs under a moratorium that started on September 26, 2024. The new wage thresholds may push more job roles into the low-wage category, making them ineligible in such regions. The freeze will remain in place until July 10, 2025. Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) affected include: Toronto (8.6 per cent), Windsor (9.3 per cent), Peterborough (9.9 per cent) Edmonton (7.3 per cent), Calgary (7.8 per cent), Vancouver (6.6 per cent) Montréal (6.7 per cent), Hamilton (7.3 per cent), Kitchener (8.5 per cent) If a role previously qualified under high-wage but now falls below the new wage cut-off, employers in these cities can no longer sponsor a TFWP worker for that position. Further restrictions based on workforce composition There are additional restrictions for employers with too many low-wage roles: • For most employers, low-wage workers cannot exceed 10 per cent of the total staff at a worksite. • For employers in construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, and nursing care, the cap is 20 per cent. Low-wage LMIA applications will be rejected if they breach these thresholds. Caregiving roles also face tighter rules Specific in-home caregiving positions also fall under scrutiny. These include: NOC 31301: Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses NOC 32101: Licensed practical nurses NOC 44100: Home childcare providers NOC 44101: Attendants for persons with disabilities, live-in caregivers, personal care attendants According to the federal government, these categories are under review for future restrictions, in light of workforce composition concerns. Why the TFWP is being tightened The Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals when local workers are unavailable. But throughout 2024, the programme drew criticism for alleged abuse, wage suppression, and overuse—issues linked to housing shortages and strained public services. In response, the government introduced several measures: LMIA validity was cut from one year to six months Duration of employment under the low-wage stream was reduced Annual targets were introduced to control the number of new TFWP admissions Visitors can no longer convert to job-supported work permits under the programme What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment? A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that some Canadian employers need before they can hire foreign workers. It serves as proof that hiring a foreign worker is necessary for a position because no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill it. When granted, a positive LMIA, also known as a confirmation letter, indicates approval to proceed with hiring from abroad. How does an LMIA work? For foreign workers aiming to work in Canada, securing an LMIA is often a critical step in obtaining a work permit. Here's what's required for the process: Job offer letter Employment contract Copy of the LMIA LMIA number Once these are secured, the worker can move forward with their work permit application. How do employers apply for an LMIA? Employers must first demonstrate that they have made extensive efforts to hire locally before submitting an LMIA application. This process typically involves: Posting the job vacancy in Canada for several weeks Interviewing suitable local candidates Documenting the hiring process to show the need for a foreign hire Application cost and processing time Cost: $1,000 per position. Processing time: Applications may take from several weeks to a few months, depending on the specific stream and demand. What happens after getting an LMIA? Once an employer receives a positive LMIA, the foreign worker can apply for a Canadian work permit using the LMIA and related job documents. Exemptions to LMIA requirements? Not all employers are required to obtain an LMIA. Some can hire foreign workers without this document through certain International Mobility Programs, which cater to specific job types and international agreements. Employers can check their eligibility under these programs before applying for an LMIA.
Associated Press
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
CLASS ACTION AUTHORIZED AGAINST CANADA ALLEGING UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF 'EMPLOYER-TYING MEASURES"(1) IMPOSED ON TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS, INCLUDING EMPLOYER-SPECIFIC OR 'CLOSED' WORK PERMITS
MONTREAL, June 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - On September 13, 2024, the Superior Court of Québec authorized the Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers to institute a class action against the Attorney General of Canada. The Association argues that 'employer-tying measures"1 imposed on temporary foreign workers2, including employer-specific work permits or 'closed' work permits, breach sections 7 and 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Association asks that certain provisions of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations be declared unconstitutional, and that Charter damages (monetary compensation) be paid to all members of the class action. The Attorney General of Canada contests the merits of the class action, which will be determined by a trial to be scheduled at a later time. A person is automatically a member of this class action IF they worked in Canada after April 17, 1982 without having been a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada at the time, AND IF they meet at least one (1) of the following conditions: They were issued a work permit which included the condition of working for a specific employer (or group of employers) or at a specific employer's workplace (or group of workplaces): They meet this condition if they were hired through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP), the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) or the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP). They also meet this condition if they were hired through the International Mobility Program (IMP) or another immigration stream or program and their work permit included the condition of working for a specific employer (or group of employers) or at a specific employer's workplace (or group of workplaces). OR They were authorized to work in Canada without a work permit because they were employed by a foreign entity on a short-term basis, or because they were employed in a personal capacity by an individual who was not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. This category: includes domestic workers, personal assistants or caregivers (nannies or au pair) who entered Canada along with their employers, or to join their employers for a short-term in Canada; includes accredited domestic workers employed in a personal capacity by certain foreign representatives, such as ambassadors, high commissioners, heads of international organizations, special representatives, or individuals occupying similar positions; does not include individuals who were employed by a foreign State or other foreign entity to work at an embassy, a high commission, a consulate, a permanent delegation to a United Nations agency, or a special representative office; does not include individuals employed by the United Nations, its agencies or an international organization of which Canada is a member. Individuals who meet those criteria are automatically included in the class action. They are not required to do anything further to become members of the class action. They will never have to pay legal costs arising from the class action. If a person does not want to be included in the class action, they may opt out of the class action by August 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM at the latest. The means of opting out and the consequences of doing so are explained in the detailed notice to members of the class action: 1 The Attorney General of Canada contests the qualification of the challenged provisions as 'employer-tying measures', which comes from the Association's allegations and the authorization judgment . 2 Sometimes referred to as migrant workers. View original content: SOURCE Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
CLASS ACTION AUTHORIZED AGAINST CANADA ALLEGING UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF "EMPLOYER-TYING MEASURES"(1) IMPOSED ON TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKERS, INCLUDING EMPLOYER-SPECIFIC OR "CLOSED" WORK PERMITS
MONTREAL, June 28, 2025 /CNW/ - On September 13, 2024, the Superior Court of Québec authorized the Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers to institute a class action against the Attorney General of Canada. The Association argues that "employer-tying measures"1 imposed on temporary foreign workers2, including employer-specific work permits or "closed" work permits, breach sections 7 and 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Association asks that certain provisions of the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations be declared unconstitutional, and that Charter damages (monetary compensation) be paid to all members of the class action. The Attorney General of Canada contests the merits of the class action, which will be determined by a trial to be scheduled at a later time. A person is automatically a member of this class action IF they worked in Canada after April 17, 1982 without having been a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada at the time, AND IF they meet at least one (1) of the following conditions: They were issued a work permit which included the condition of working for a specific employer (or group of employers) or at a specific employer's workplace (or group of workplaces): They meet this condition if they were hired through the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP), the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) or the Non-Immigrant Employment Authorization Program (NIEAP). They also meet this condition if they were hired through the International Mobility Program (IMP) or another immigration stream or program and their work permit included the condition of working for a specific employer (or group of employers) or at a specific employer's workplace (or group of workplaces). OR They were authorized to work in Canada without a work permit because they were employed by a foreign entity on a short-term basis, or because they were employed in a personal capacity by an individual who was not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. This category: includes domestic workers, personal assistants or caregivers (nannies or au pair) who entered Canada along with their employers, or to join their employers for a short-term in Canada; includes accredited domestic workers employed in a personal capacity by certain foreign representatives, such as ambassadors, high commissioners, heads of international organizations, special representatives, or individuals occupying similar positions; does not include individuals who were employed by a foreign State or other foreign entity to work at an embassy, a high commission, a consulate, a permanent delegation to a United Nations agency, or a special representative office; does not include individuals employed by the United Nations, its agencies or an international organization of which Canada is a member. Individuals who meet those criteria are automatically included in the class action. They are not required to do anything further to become members of the class action. They will never have to pay legal costs arising from the class action. If a person does not want to be included in the class action, they may opt out of the class action by August 27, 2025 at 4:30 PM at the latest. The means of opting out and the consequences of doing so are explained in the detailed notice to members of the class action: 1 The Attorney General of Canada contests the qualification of the challenged provisions as "employer-tying measures", which comes from the Association's allegations and the authorization judgment. 2 Sometimes referred to as migrant workers. View original content: SOURCE Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP View original content:
Toronto Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Forget 'buy Canadian,' group wants firms to 'hire Canadian'
"Buy Canadian" is little more than anti-Americanism if Canadian businesses continue to rely on inexpensive foreign labour, says the NCC's Alex Brown OTTAWA — While Canadians rally around 'buy Canadian,' a citizen's group is calling on businesses to 'hire Canadian.' With youth unemployment skyrocketing while students battle for the few summer jobs available to them, the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) wants Canadian employers to focus on hiring locally instead of those subsidized under the temporary foreign worker program (TFWP.) 'It became apparent quite quickly that the 'buy Canadian' crowd weren't actually hiring Canadian,' NCC spokesperson Alex Brown told The Toronto Sun, saying that 'buy Canadian' amounts to little more anti-American platitudes if Canadian retailers and businesses continue to rely on inexpensive foreign labour. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'It is the Liberals that gave an inch here, and many of these companies have taken a mile.' So far in 2025, summer job postings are down 22% compared to last year — the worst summer job market in nearly two decades. Many of those entry-level jobs are staffed by migrant and/or temporary workers, preferred by business owners who receive wage subsidies, accept lower-than-market wages and are vulnerable to exploitation by bad actors. Last summer, a little over 14% of Canadians 24-and-under were unable to find work — more than double Canada's current unemployment rate of 6.9%. Brown spoke of stories of young people who've had no luck finding any summer work, despite months of trying. 'There is nothing available,' he said, speaking of a 20-year-old niece of a coalition supporter. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Despite hustling on foot and handing out over 90 resumes, she's had exactly one interview — and the employer likely went with a subsidized temporary foreign workers instead.' In response to this crisis, the Trudeau Liberals reduced 2025's temporary resident arrivals to 673,650 — roughly the population of the City of Vancouver. The same policy also saw the Trudeau Liberals cap study permit issuance at 437,000, a modest decrease from the 486,000 issued in 2024. Last week, Conservative MP Jamil Jivani launched a call for Canada to end the TFWP, blaming the contentious policy as a major driver for unemployment and wage suppression, and to divest vital seasonal agricultural workers into separate programs. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Between January and October of last year, 162,100 new work permits were issued under the program. The NCC is calling on businesses to prioritize hiring Canadian youth and recent graduates over subsidized, foreign labour, and advocate for reform. Aside from abolishing the TFWP, the NCC wants the federal government to close down diploma mills and close asylum loopholes — as well as lowering annual immigration targets and increase deportations of those no longer entitled to be in Canada. 'We cannot allow another generation of Canadians to face economic scarring due to deliberate policy sabotage,' Brown said., 'It's time for businesses to urgently invest in our youth and for Carney's minority government to fix an immigration system that is failing everyday Canadians.' bpassifiume@ X: @bryanpassifiume Toronto Maple Leafs Olympics Toronto Raptors World Toronto Maple Leafs
