Canada’s Skilled Foreign Workers Face Deportation Under Stricter TFW Rules

The skilled foreign workforce in Canada now faces increased uncertainty after new regulations for the TFWP (Temporary Foreign Worker Program) raised the potential for deportation for thousands of workers across many industries. A Canadian pollution control equipment company implored the federal government to review the more stringent rules after seven of its workers were close to reaching the end of their permit, CTV News reported.

The TFW Program, originally created to allow Canadian employers access to workers for positions when there is no qualified domestic worker possible, has recently been overhauled to protect local labor interests and limit reliance on foreign talent.

Beginning November 8, 2024, companies must offer wages that are at least 20% higher than the median hourly wage (i.e., an increase of either $5 or $8 per hour depending on the province) to hire under the high-wage stream. The adjustment was made to encourage companies to hire Canadian citizens instead of foreign workers.

Starting 26 September 2024, employers will also be restricted to using not more than 10 per cent of their workforce from the TFW program. It is expected that these changes will result in 34,000 jobs being moved from the high wage stream to the more constrained low wage stream.

Rising costs may limit many businesses’ ability to keep skilled foreign workers financially viable and they may ultimately have to choose between higher wages for foreign workers or the workforce gaps that deportations could create.

According to experts, the tougher TFW regulations might lessen Canada’s status as a welcoming destination for skilled foreign talent and affect industries that depend on foreign skill to operate smoothly.

As more regulation starts to emerge, many foreign workers in Canada now have uncertain futures.