Canada has introduced several measures to revamp its immigration program, including setting up caps for the number of temporary foreign workers. Conservative MP Jamil Jivani has now started a nationwide online petition to terminate the temporary foreign worker program.
The petition says that the ‘Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is a large contributor to Canada’s immigration system getting out of control with unsustainable immigration levels. The TFWP is taking jobs away from Canadians and holding down the wages of Canadian workers.’
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program is intended to provide work permits to foreign workers who can help fill labour shortages in Canada. Employers who want to hire foreign nationals through the TFWP must submit an LMIA demonstrating that there are no qualified Canadians or permanent residents to fill the position.
Jivani, in his petition, highlights that Canadian economists have observed that the availability of temporary foreign workers provides an opportunity for businesses to hire foreign workers for lower wages and unfavorable working conditions. The Ironworkers Union has called on the federal government to immediately end the TFWP and instead invest in Canadian workers and protect Canadian jobs.
Youth unemployment in Canada (ages 15 to 24) rose from about 9% in 2022 to over 14% in 2024—the highest level in more than a decade, excluding the COVID-19 period. In Toronto, the number of unemployed youth jumped 50% in two years, surpassing 120,000.
The petition states that the TFWP has led to a sharp rise in foreign workers in youth-dominated sectors like food service and retail. In Ontario, Tim Hortons hired at least 714 temporary foreign workers in 2023, up from just 58 in 2019. This surge has increased competition for entry-level jobs, making it harder for young Canadians to find work.
For Canada’s agricultural industry, the fraction of TFW’s classified as seasonal agricultural workers should be treated as a separate program and not lumped in with the broader TFWP that leads to the suppression of Canadian wages, says Jivani in the petition.
Canada’s Tightening Measures
Canada has taken several steps to streamline the TFW program. Under the 2025-2027 Levels Plan, the target under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) for 2025 is 82,000, excluding seasonal workers, the vast majority of whom are in agriculture.
Consistent with the government’s aim to reduce temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s overall population by the end of 2026, Canada’s foreign worker programs – TFWP and the International Mobility Program – have been recalibrated to ensure that they align with economic/labour market needs, community planning, and international/humanitarian commitments.
In spring 2024, the LMIA validity period was reduced from 12 months to six months. The cap on low-wage workers was reduced from 30% to 20% for most sectors except construction and healthcare.
On September 26, 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) further tightened the rules for the TFWP low-wage stream, including: reducing the cap from 20% to 10%; limiting the maximum employment duration to one year instead of two; and refusing to process LMIA applications for positions in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.
On October 21, 2024, ESDC announced that, effective November 8, 2024, the minimum wage threshold for employers to hire through the TFWP’s High-Wage stream will increase to 20% ($5 to $8) above the provincial-territorial median hourly wage, which varies by province/territory.
These reforms are designed to prioritize the hiring of domestic workers and reduce wage suppression, in keeping with the TFWP’s goal of protecting Canada’s economy and Canadian workers.