Reality over rhetoric: CFIB releases new report challenging five myths around Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program Français
TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2025 /CNW/ - A new research snapshot from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) tackles five of the most persistent myths about Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), separating evidence and program rules from perception and political rhetoric.
"The narrative around the temporary foreign worker program has totally lost the plot over the past few months," said Dan Kelly, CFIB president. "There are dozens of legitimate reasons why small businesses use the TFW program to fill persistent labour market gaps, often to the benefit of Canadian workers in the business. Temporary workers are always more costly than hiring locally available workers. Vilifying the businesses that need TFWs to fill the positions that Canadians don't want does nothing to address program gaps, nor tackle the real issues weighing down our economy."
CFIB's snapshot, Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada: Myths vs Realities, challenges five common misconceptions, including: Employers are addicted to TFWs; TFWs take jobs from Canadians and especially young Canadians; TFWs supress Canadian wages; TFWs strain local housing, and abuse is widespread and goes unchecked.
"The TFW program is structured around ensuring TFWs are not replacing Canadians. There are rigid processes and hefty costs that employers go through to fill a position. Simply scrapping or restricting the program won't solve Canada's labour market challenges," said Christina Santini, CFIB's director of national affairs. "We need a sensible, sustainable approach to this program that takes small business realities into account."
Over half (52%) of small business owners using the temporary foreign worker program said that TFWs enabled them to continue employing Canadians and providing Canada with essential goods and services. One in five respondents in Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)'s employer survey also found that hiring TFWs improved their ability to hire more Canadians.
To keep supply chains moving and to help small businesses fill critical labour gaps, CFIB recommends policymakers:
- Retain a focused TFWP and reject the misinformation.
- Facilitate the retention of TFWs already in Canada through a grandfathering clause.
- Provide a pathway to permanent residency for lower-skilled TFWs who have maintained their legal status, acquired work experience in Canada, and paid taxes.
- Let employers make their case as to why they are unable to hire a Canadian for their position instead of issuing a blanket refusal to process policy.
- Reduce the program's administrative burden.
- Consult employers and the business community in advance of future reforms.
For more information on why small businesses need the TFWP, visit cfib.ca.
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners' chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Federation of Independent Business
For media enquiries or interviews, please contact: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva, CFIB, 647-464-2814, [email protected]
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