Government of Canada announces approval of provincial request for temporary freeze of low-wage occupations in Montréal under Temporary Foreign Worker Program

GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada continues to take action to ensure the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. The Program is designed as an extraordinary measure to be used when workers already in Canada are not able to fill job vacancies.

Today, the Government of Canada announced the approval of a proposal by the Government of Quebec to temporarily refuse to process new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for the TFW Program low-wage stream in the Montréal economic region. As a result, processing of these applications will be suspended for six months, starting on September 3^rd, 2024, for job offers located in the Montréal economic region with wages below $27.47/hour, which is the current Quebec median hourly wage.

The economic region of Montréal includes the following municipalities: Baie-d'Urfé; Beaconsfield; Côte-Saint-Luc; Dollard-des-Ormeaux; Dorval; Hampstead; Kirkland; L'Île-Dorval; Montréal; Montréal East; Montréal West; Mount Royal; Pointe-Claire; Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue; Senneville; and Westmount.

This processing suspension applies to all LMIA applications, including those submitted under the facilitated processing.

There are some exceptions to the processing suspension, including jobs in a place of work located outside the economic region of Montréal; jobs with an offered wage equal to or higher than the current median hourly wage in Quebec ($27.47/hour); and LMIAs applications received prior to September 3^rd, 2024. Additionally, employers applying for LMIA positions from certain industry groups in the North American Industry Classification System will also be exempted, including those in agriculture, construction, food processing, education, and health and social services sectors.

The Government will closely monitor this policy as it makes determinations about future changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Quote

"Our government is focused on preserving the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, making sure that employers resort to it only when there are no qualified workers already in Canada available to fill open job positions. Today's announcement is part of our ongoing efforts to adjust to the changing labour market while working with provinces and territories to ensure that the rules are followed to protect both Canadian workers and temporary foreign workers, as well as to support the Canadian economy."
– Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault

Quick Facts

• The TFW Program is designed to be responsive to changes in the labour market. Post-pandemic labour market needs were high, and a number of changes were introduced to help employers meet urgent employment needs. With the labour market returning to a more balanced state, the TFW Program is being readjusted to ensure that only employers with demonstrable labour market needs have access to the Program.
• A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job.
• Additional information related to the refusal to process LMIA applications for the Montréal economic region can be found by visiting Comprendre les autorisations à obtenir pour embaucher un travailleur étranger temporaire | Gouvernement du Québec (French only) or Refusal to process a Labour Market Impact Assessment application

Associated Links

• Minister Boissonnault announces new measures to address fraud in Canada's 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
• Backgrounder: Temporary Foreign Worker Program – Compliance Regime 
• Government of Canada strengthens protections for temporary foreign workers as new regulations come into force
• Employer compliance - Canada.ca

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada

For media enquiries, please contact: Mathis Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, 343-573-1846, [email protected]; Media Relations Office: Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected]