The Government of Canada highlights reduced usage of Temporary Foreign Worker Program and increased penalties

GATINEAU, QC, Oct. 6, 2025 /CNW/ - The federal government is focused on building lasting economic strength. This starts right here at home.

When it comes to jobs, Canadians are always first in line. To be clear: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a last resort option for employers who cannot find qualified Canadians and permanent residents to fill job vacancies.

There's a stringent process in place to ensure that Canadian workers are always prioritized first. All employers seeking to use the Temporary Foreign Worker Program must demonstrate that genuine attempts to recruit workers from within Canada were unsuccessful. They must also continue recruiting for the position while the application is pending. Workers under the TFW Program represent approximately 1% of the Canadian workforce and play important roles in key sectors such as agriculture, food processing, construction and health care.

In context of the tightening labour market in September 2024, several measures were implemented to reduce reliance on the TFW Program, resulting in a 50% reduction overall in applications to the Program and 70% in the low-wage stream.

Employers who hire temporary foreign workers are also required to provide safe, healthy and dignified working conditions. The Government has a strong compliance regime to help ensure that the health and safety of temporary foreign workers are protected.

The employer compliance regime aims to verify employers' adherence to program requirements and conditions through inspections. Employers who do not respect these could be issued administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) of up to $1 million per year and be temporarily or permanently banned from the Program.

In fiscal year 2024–2025, ESDC conducted 1,435 employer compliance inspections, of which 10% of employers were found non-compliant. During the same period, penalties more than doubled from $2,067,750 to $4,882,500 and resulted in 36 employers being banned from the TFW Program, a threefold increase from last year.

From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, examples of non-compliance violations included:

• An employer in the agriculture sector who was fined $212,000 and banned from the TFW Program for 2 years for failing to provide proper working conditions and for not providing the required documentation to inspectors.
• An employer in the residential building construction industry was fined $161,000 and banned from the TFW Program for 5 years for failing to provide proper wages and working conditions and lack of compliance with federal and provincial labour laws.
• An employer in the long-haul trucking industry was fined $150,000 for failing to genuinely operate a business, and for not providing the required documentation to inspectors.

In addition, this September, an employer in the fish and seafood sector was issued a penalty of $1 million and a 10-year ban from the Program for failing to provide proper wages and working conditions, failing to comply with federal and provincial labour laws, and failing to provide a workplace that was free of abuse. To date, this is the biggest penalty ever issued by the Department, because any mistreatment of workers or misuse of the Program will not be tolerated. Employers who are found to be non-compliant with TFW Program conditions are also listed on a public-facing website managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

It is clear that improvements to the TFW Program are needed. This starts with a focused approach that targets specific strategic sectors and needs in specific regions.

The Government of Canada continues to strengthen the TFW Program's integrity and to enhance temporary foreign worker protections. Our work to reduce the reliance of Canadian employers on the Program is part of that plan.  

Quotes 

"Building a stronger Canada means protecting those who work tirelessly, day in and day out. Workers in Canada deserve safe workplaces where their rights are protected from bad actors. The TFW Program is a last resort measure for businesses – it is no substitute for Canadian talent, and its misuse will never be permitted. Strengthening our inspection practices to weed out employers who misuse the program puts workers at the forefront and safeguards their well-being while we build, together, one Canadian economy that will benefit all generations."
– Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario

Quick Facts 

• To support workers, Service Canada offers a confidential tip line, available 24/7. Live agents are available in 200 languages, Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. Concerns can also be reported anonymously through an online reporting tool. Workers are encouraged to report any concerns about unsafe conditions and protections are in place to help ensure workers can speak up without fear of reprisal.
• ESDC continues to work with partners such as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to share information on any fraudulent or criminal activity that may be reported to the Department, uncovered during the assessment of the employer's LMIA application, or over the course of an inspection.
• To help identify and stop these violations, workers and members of the public can report suspected abuse or unsafe working conditions through the Government of Canada's confidential tip line. All reports are confidential. You do not need to provide your name, and your employer will never be told who made the report. Information shared is protected under Canada's privacy laws. Reports can be made:
  -        Online: Report abuse form
  -        By phone: [phone]
  
  • Available 24/7 to leave a voicemail.
  • Live agents in over 200 languages Monday to Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

Associated Links 

• Penalties doubled compared to last year for non-compliant employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
• Minister Boissonnault provides next steps on recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
• Government of Canada continues to take action to protect Temporary Foreign Workers, non-compliant employer penalties increased by 36%
• Government of Canada takes action to improve employer compliance and better protect   foreign workers
• Government of Canada strengthens protections for temporary foreign workers as new regulations come into force
• Ministerial Instructions
• How to report abuse of temporary foreign workers

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For media enquiries, please contact: Jennifer Kozelj, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, [email protected]; Media Relations Office : Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]