In the last fiscal year, 36 employers were banned from the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program — a threefold increase from the previous year — the federal government said this week.
From April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada inspected 1,435 employers for compliance, the agency said in an Oct. 6 news release. Ten per cent were found to be non-compliant.
In the same period, nearly $4.9 million in penalties were levied, up from about $2.1 million the previous year.
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Agriculture, construction employers among those punished
Examples of non-compliance included an agricultural employer who was fined $212,000 and was banned from the TFW program for two years for “failing to provide proper working conditions” and not providing required documents to inspectors.
A construction employer was banned from the program for five years and fined $161,000 for failing to provide proper wages and working conditions, and for lack of compliance with federal and provincial labour laws.
A fish and seafood employer received a penalty of $1 million and a 10-year ban for failing to provide proper wages and working conditions, and for non-compliance with labour laws.
“To date, this is the biggest penalty ever issued by the Department,” the news release said.
“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,” it added.
TFW program to be trimmed
This echoed comments Prime Minister Mark Carney made to Liberal caucus members in September.
At the Sept. 10 event, Carney said his government aims to reduce the total number of temporary foreign workers and international students to less than five per cent of Canada’s population by the end of 2027, CBC reported.
In early September, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said the TFW program should be scrapped and a standalone agriculture program should be created. Poilievre cited Canadian unemployment as the main reason for the plan.
A bit more than 78,000 temporary foreign workers were employed in Canadian agricultural industries in 2024, Statistics Canada data shows.
The current Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) allows primary agriculture employers to bring in seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean. However, farmers and food producers may also hire workers through the TFW Program.
Program under scrutiny
The program has also faced a barrage of scrutiny in recent years. A February report from Amnesty International called the system “inherently exploitative and discriminatory.” It called for measures like greater flexibility of work permits, removal of permanent residency criteria that it said discriminates against low-skill workers, and for improved worker access to healthcare and adequate housing.
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association pointed to “decades of continuous improvements” that allowed for more mobility options within SAWP. It said that program sets the gold standard for TFW programs.
