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InCanada,temporary residency (French:résidence temporaire) applies to those who are notCanadian citizens but are legally in Canada for a temporary purpose, includinginternational students,foreign workers, andtourists.
Whereas "Permanent Residence" (PR) is a requirement forCanadian citizenship,temporary residency has little to do with citizenship, in that one cannot go from temporary resident to citizen without first going through another program. More specifically, the classes of Temporary Resident Documents under IMM1442 are as follows:
Some foreign nationals require aTemporary Resident Visa (French:visa de résident temporaire) to visit Canada.
It is against Canadian federal law to bring in temporary foreign workers if Canadian workers are available. For an employer to hire a foreign worker or to allow a foreign worker to in Canada, they may need obtain aLabour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). A positive LMIA or a confirmation letter grants permission to the employer who proves that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job as no Canadian worker is available and that such hiring will not negatively impact the Canadian labour market.[1][2]
TheTemporary Foreign Worker Program (French:Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires,TFWP) is a program of theGovernment of Canada that allows employers in Canada to hireforeign nationals.[3] Workers brought in under the program are referred to asTemporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) and are allowed to work in positions that are not filled by Canadians. The aim was to address skill shortages and promote economic growth. Initially, the program was aimed at nurses and farm workers, but today it gives highly skilled and less skilled workers the opportunity to work in Canada.[4][5] Unlike applicants for permanent residence, the Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) does not have a cap on the number of applicants admitted; instead, numbers are dictated primarily by employer demand.
Between 1993 and 2013, the total number of TFW more than doubled to 338,189 workers;[6][7] between 2006 and 2014 alone, over 500,000 workers were brought into Canada under the program.[8] When TFWP began in 1973, most of the individuals brought in werehigh-skill workers, such asmedical specialists.[6] In 2002, however, a "low-skilled workers" category was added, which now makes up most of the temporary foreign workforce.[6][9] In 2006, the program was expanded, introducing fast-tracking for some locations.[6] It was revised again in 2013, raising wages, charging employer fees, and removing the accelerated applications.[10]
From 2002 and 2011, the number of temporary foreign workers (TFW) residing in Canada had a three-fold increase, from about 101,000 to 300,000.[11] For the first time in 2007, overall temporary migration overtook permanent migration, with the highest increase being in the number of TFWs that entered the country, and within that the largest increase accounted for those in lower-skilled occupations in farming, caregiving, service & retail, clerical work, manufacturing and construction.[12][13] There was also a 73% increase in the number of entries and re-entries into the country in the 2002-2008 period.
The expansion of the TFWP to accommodate workers in lower-skilled occupations has been influenced by general increased employer demand of lower-skilled workers, particularly in the oil, gas, and construction sectors. In 2002, the pilot project for Hiring Foreign Workers in Occupations that Require Lower Levels of Formal Training was introduced. The project has since evolved to better suit employers needs, for example by increasing the length of the work permit from 12 to 24 months. However this is not the case for those entering through 2 occupation-specific programs: theLive-in Caregiver Program (LCP) or theSeasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP).
In 2018, the number of workers allowed increased by 36% and more than 17,600 permits were issued.[14]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government, together with the TFWP, sought out to increase protection for foreign workers through protective legislation.[15][16]
Implemented in 1966, more than 29,000 agricultural workers enter Canada every year through this program from the Caribbean and Mexico. The program exists as an agreement between sending countries and the Canadian government to provide seasonal agricultural workers during peak Canadian production. Particular sectors that report labour shortages are often the fruits, vegetables and horticultural sectors. Those who enter through this program can work for a maximum of 8 months per year.[17]
In 2009, half of agricultural migrants were from Mexico (about 15,800 people). Among these migrants, 75% have been re-entering the program for 4 years or more, while 57%, for 6 years or more.[11]
Replacing the foreign domestic movement (FDM) in 1992, the Live-in Caregiver program accepts between 2,500 and 3,500 caregivers each year.[17] According toImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, "Live-in caregivers are individuals who are qualified to provide care for children, elderly persons or persons with disabilities in private homes without supervision."[18]
Applicants to the program must meet certain criteria, some of which include: high school education, equivalent to Canadian standards, language ability, as well as a written contract by an employer andEmployment and Social Development Canada approval that labour shortages necessitate hiring abroad.[11]
Recruitment into this program is seen to be racialized and gendered, as 95.6% of Canada's live-in caregivers are women from thePhilippines. Despite this, and unlike the SAWP, no formal labour agreement exists to govern these migratory flows. Rather, an informal Filipino community network, as well as the Philippine government's labour export strategy facilitates and regulates the continuous migratory flows between the two countries. Also unlike those who enter through the SAWP, LCP applicants can apply for permanent residency at the end of their 2-year contract.[19]
TheInternational Experience Canada (IEC) program provides young nationals from select countries, with the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for a maximum of 24 months. Interested candidates are randomly selected depending on the spots available for their country of origin and for the category in which they are eligible.[20]
There are three categories under IEC:[21]
In order to be able to participate in the IEC, the country or territory that the candidate is a citizen of must have an agreement with Canada, allowing them to apply for an IEC work permit.[22]
Alternatively, if they do not belong to any such country or territory, they must be able to make use of a recognized organization (RO). ROs, for the purposes of IEC, include:AIESEC, GO International,International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), International Rural Exchange (IRE),Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), Stepwest, WAP Working Holidays,University of British Columbia, andUniversity of New Brunswick.[23]
Furthermore, the candidate will also have to successfully meet the eligibility requirements for their country or territory of citizenship as well as of the specific pool that they are applying for. Usually, countries that have an agreement with Canada as to the IEC program allow candidates to participate in the program only 1 time. Other countries, though allowing a candidate to apply 2 times, will require the candidates to apply in different pools each of the times that they apply for the IEC.
Those holding a refugee travel document that has been issued by a country with a youth mobility agreement with Canada are not eligible to participate in the IEC program. While dependents cannot be taken along on the IEC, dependents might apply for visiting, studying, or working Canada. The applications are to be assessed separately and not along with that of the IEC candidate.
Apart from their temporary status, TFWs have the sameemployment rights as Canadian workers, and can phone a free1-800 number for help.[24] However, because of the way in which the Canadian residence of a temporary foreign worker is tied to an employer, some TFWs have said they have been treated worse than Canadian co-workers.[25]
Foreign agricultural workers make up roughly 60% of all workers coming into the country under the TFWP.[26]
Criticism surrounding temporary residents of Canada has been contentious and subjective topic in the Canadian government and the public. Under the29th Canadian Ministry, two-thirds of Canadians (65%) believed that the government admits too many temporary residents and prospective immigrants with its immigration plan, according to a poll conducted byLéger[27]
In May 2014, the TFWP was the focus of debate between the28th Canadian Ministry and the New Democratic Partyofficial opposition questioned at theHouse of Commons about the program.CBC reported that some employers were said to be abusing the TFWP by bringing in temporary foreign workers to areas where qualified local workers were collectingEmployment Insurance (EI) benefits.[28] DuringQuestion Period, Harper said that the government had addressed this issue before 2013, and that changes had been made to both the EI and TFW programs in order to address these issues. He stated that the NDP did not cooperate at the time in the introduction of the changes, and that NDPMembers of Parliament requested more foreign workers in their ownridings.[29]
In January 2014, Employment MinisterJason Kenney pledged a second round of reforms citing employee frustration.[30] In April, issues with the program came under scrutiny byCBC relating to the procurement of temporary foreign unskilled labour byMcDonald's Canada.[31] On 24 April, Kenney announced that the TFWP had been suspended for thefood-services industry.[32] It has since been renewed.
Following theCOVID-19 pandemic the Canadian government under Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau and his 29th Ministry gradually admitted a large number of TFW's, and increase the number ofpermanent residents Canada welcomes each year to 500,000 in 2025, a decision that drew considerable attention and scrutiny. This was done against thePublic Service of Canada wishes, who warned of lack of adequate housing and infrastructure.
As of 2021, there are over 775,000 temporary foreign workers in Canada, with them representing 4% of the workforce. The majority of temporary foreign workers are employed inlow-prestige jobs, such asfast food workers.[33] Several economists have said temporary foreign workers andinternational students increasingly form the backbone oflow-wage labour.Mike Moffatt, an economist and professor at theUniversity of Western Ontario, said that “What we’re basically bringing in a lot of is, essentially, temporary foreign workers under student permits to work fast-food jobs and things like that.”[33]
Since 2013, theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) began reporting on issues surrounding the hiring of temporary foreign workers by companies who
On 6 April 2013,CBC News reported that CanadianIT workers at theRoyal Bank of Canada (RBC) were losing their jobs to replacement foreign workers, who were brought from India by outsourcing firmiGATE. Existing RBC employees trained their replacements before they themselves werelaid off, causing their appeal to the media.[34][35] RBC responded to the controversy by issuing a statement denying the charges and offering clarification of the situation.[36] While a reported 45 employees lost their jobs, the bank nevertheless had indicated that they intended to expand this practice in the coming year.[37]
Additionally in 2013, CBC found that, inSaskatchewan, 65% of recent newly created jobs were held by temporary foreign workers,[38] and inNova Scotia over one thousand employers had requested foreign workers.[39]CBC also reported that a Chinese company that owns a mine inBritish Columbia was attempting to import workers fromChina.[40] According to theHuffington Post, one of the requirements of the job was the ability to speakMandarin Chinese.[41]
In October 2013, TheHuffington Post reported that theAlberta Federation of Labour said foreign workers were displacing Canadian workers inFort McMurray. The report claimed that 270 Canadian workers employed by aToronto-based firm were to be replaced by foreign workers employed by anItalian firm.[42] On 23 October,Global News reported thatFarmers of North America, inSaskatoon, was helping farmers recruit TFWs in order to help them. TheCanadian Federation of Agriculture reportedly estimated that Canada was in need of 30,000 seasonal and longer-term farm workers.Employment Canada acknowledged that there was a shortage of agricultural workers.[43]
In December 2014, CBC reported thatMicrosoft Canada obtained an exemption from the federal government that will allow the company to bring in an unspecified number of TFW toBritish Columbia. The trainee foreign workers (most of whom would be citizens ofIndia andChina) were to be hired without requiring Microsoft to look for Canadian workers who could fill the positions.[44]
The exploitation of migrant labour has been a key issue amongst labour and civil society groups. Many have suggested that the structure of Canadian temporary migration programs, particularly the Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP), perpetuate social and economic inequalities in the long-term. There are little provincial employment standards regarding the recruitment and monitoring of the LCP, which leaves migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation. At present, only the province of British Columbia requires that workers be registered by their employers under the Domestic Workers' Registry. Employment agencies, on the other hand, are only regulated in two provinces, British Columbia, and Alberta, and their regulation only amounts to operating licensing requirements.[45]
The lack of systemic regulation makes it difficult for contract violations to be contested. Under the law, contracts should specify total work hours, vacation time, wages, and benefits. However, in a study conducted by a Montreal organization, PINAY, together with theMcGill University School of Social Work, it was found that in 25% of the 148 live-in caregivers studied, employers did not sign a contract at all, and 43% claimed that they weren't paid for overtime work.[46]
Another issue with temporary migrants is the limited mobility afforded to them within the confines of their stipulated contracts. What sets the LCP apart from the TFWP is that applicants are required to have a minimum secondary school education as well as domestic service training. Research has even found that a large number of those applying through the LCP program are overqualified and have post-secondary education, and training as registered practitioners and nurses from their origin countries.[46] However, due to the live-in requirement and the length of the LCP contract, deskilling occurs, wherein educational qualifications and training once held by immigrants prior to entering the program are not utilized or developed. This leads to downward occupational mobility as re-entry into the labour market with a skilled position becomes difficult upon the end of the contract, and once permanent residency is achieved.[45]
In 2017, theToronto Star conducted an investigation that revealed a large number of cases of incorrect accommodation, lack of access to medical care, violence and abuse.[47][48][49]
In July 2024, a report for theUnited Nations Human Rights Council by theSpecial Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery Tomoya Obokata described the program as a "breeding ground for contemporary slavery".[50] Obokata's report found many instances ofdebt bondage,wage theft, lack ofpersonal protective equipment,abuse, andsexual misconduct.[50][51] For example, in 2025, CBC reported on the story of a Cameroonian woman named Bénédicte Carole Zé who came to work at a poultry farm in Canada and had to pay $10,000 in illegal recruitment fees to obtain the job.[52] As well as on the job, she explains how her employer sexually exploited her and all aspects of her life felt as if the employer controlled them; including her freedom of mobility, her finances, and even her cellphone use, she described the gruelling "70-80 hour weeks" to feel like "she lived under slavery".[52] Another instance showcasing how temporary foreign workers are mistreated is using the example of Miguel, a Guatemalan man who experienced "severe forms of control" as a temporary foreign worker in Canada from his employer, to the extent that his boss took away his passports and monitored his whereabouts by putting cameras inside his living quarters and workplace.[53] It is important to discuss that these abuses are part of a larger structural problem related to the closed work permit system. This system can be viewed as a continuation of Canada's history of utilizing racialized labour for capitalist gain (p.180).[54] Canada has done this in the past by using racialized labour, like Chinese railway workers and Sikh loggers in the early 20th century, to help their economy, but not providing these temporary foreign workers with similar levels of protection as citizens, and it continues to be done to this day(p.180).[54] Looking at this issue from an intersectional lens, it is clear that the TFWP is structured in a way to subject people of colour from "poorer" countries. This system disproportionately affects temporary workers who identify as poor women of colour coming from the global south, as they are more vulnerable to the sexual, racial, and overall patriarchal domination of these Western countries.[54] Immigration ministerMarc Miller gave a statement toReuters saying that the program was "in need of reform" and that the low-wage stream needed to be examined.[55]
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