In response to the current employment environment, the following changes will be implemented, effective by September 26, 2024:

• The Government of Canada will refuse to process Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) in the Low-Wage stream, applicable in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. Exceptions will be granted for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing and fish processing), as well as construction and healthcare;
• Employers will be allowed to hire no more than 10% of their total workforce through the TFW Program. This maximum employment percentage will be applied to the Low-Wage stream and is a further reduction from the March 2024 reduction. Exceptions will be granted for seasonal and non-seasonal jobs in food security sectors (primary agriculture, food processing and fish processing), as well as healthcare and construction; and
• The maximum duration of employment for workers hired through the Low-Wage stream will be reduced to one year (from two years).

 To know more, click here

Important update for Temporary Foreign Workers Evacuating from Jasper wildfire:

Click here to find support available for Temporary Foreign Workers affected by Jasper Wildfire. You may also scan the QR code from the poster below and register yourself to get support.

Don't wait in line and apply for immigration services online

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFW) organized its annual Holiday Party 2023 for its TFW clients and their families last Saturday, December 9, 2023, at Kerby Centre downtown Calgary. All the 247 participants who attended the party were treated to delicious food, exciting performances in the TFW Got Talent show, games, and raffle draws, dance & music put together by our dedicated TFW team.

Our community partners and guests from the Government of Alberta, Cargill, SAIT, IRERI – Mexican, Latino & Cross-Cultural Society, Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers joined the holiday party to celebrate this festive season with our TFW families and cheered out loud for them during talent show performances. Representatives from Remitly held their booth during the event and talked about their online services for the foreign workers who wish to send money back home during the holiday season.

Thanks to the generous contributions by the donors and the team members, every family had a gift to take back home! We can’t thank enough to our dedicated team of volunteers for their unwavering support and commitment to organizing this party successfully. A special shout out to our volunteer Jyotirmoy Gupta, a photographer and filmmaker by profession who specially joined us last minute to capture some beautiful memories through the day for all of us to cherish.

Once again, this event truly represented the spirit of belonging among migrant workers from diverse backgrounds who came together to celebrate winter holiday season and making it a memorable festive season for all of us. Our hearts are still filled with all the love and laughter witnessed during the Holiday Party and we are already looking forward to our Holiday Party next year!

Until then, on behalf of the TFW team, we wish each one of you a happy and warm holiday season.

The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) commissioned Pivotal Research Inc. (Pivotal Research) to conduct policy research focused on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in the Prairie provinces—encompassing the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan—building on the TFW Prairie Region Project to provide insights and opportunities to strengthen the TFW-serving ecosystem across the Prairie region.

With this goal in mind, three studies were conducted by Pivotal Research with insights gathered from frontline workers, community partners, employers & temporary foreign workers to share their first hand experience.

• Voice of the Foreign Worker in the Prairie Region: Temporary Foreign Worker Program Reform Considerations

Introduction

Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) has commissioned Pivotal Research Inc. (Pivotal Research) in 2023 to conduct immersive research with Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in the Prairie Region (Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan) focused on gathering their experiences and perceptions of reform considerations for the TFW Program. This is especially so because in 2022, the federal government of Canada announced several amendments to the TFW Program, which were aimed at addressing the challenges TFWs might be facing while they are working temporarily in Canada.

Background

The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Assembly 2023 attracted a record number of 286 participants including temporary foreign workers from various cities in Alberta, such as Calgary, Edmonton, Brooks, and Medicine Hat organized at The Kerby Centre in downtown Calgary. The event truly celebrated diversity and empowerment while there was a rich tapestry of nationalities, including Mexico, the Philippines, India, and more. The TFW Assembly, which started last year, was a full-day event that brought together TFWs from all over Alberta in collaboration with Consulates, Alberta Government, and community partners. The main focus of the event was to raise awareness and advocate for the rights and welfare of workers in Canada, especially TFWs.

This year, it was an honor to witness the attendance of Consul General of El Salvador - Juan Antonio Salamanca, Vice-Consul General of the Philippine Consulate – Vic Dimagiba and Mexican Consular representative – Monica Flores who offered their unwavering support and assistance to all temporary foreign workers. Moreover, government representatives from various organizations provided insights and guidance on pathways to permanent residency, TFW’s rights and responsibilities, the challenges & realities faced by TFW’s and how they can be addressed. Our community partners from Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA), Korean Social Services Centre (KSSC), IRERI-Mexican, Latino & Cross-Cultural Society, Cargill, Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters & Allied Workers and Ambrose University also graced the occasion to support TFW’s.

  CCIS' TFW program staff with consular representatives, guest speakers & partner organizations

The Assembly commenced with an inspiring opening address by Hasmik Asmaryan, Director of Business Employment and Training Services (BETS) at CCIS. She warmed the stage for an enlightening and empowering experience followed by the first session that kick started with TFW Rights and Responsibilities and government support for TFWs in Alberta. Steve Holzer from Occupations Health & Safety (OHS), Raymond Ivanzus from Service Canada, Simonette Pili & Doris Segura from Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office (TFWAO) promoted best practices for foreign workers to safeguard their rights and elaborated a range of government support & services available to them. The second session explored options of pathways to Permanent Residency led by Jatin Shory – a reputed Immigration & Refugee Lawyer and Nataly Ore from Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP). Lastly, the third session highlighted the realities of Serving and Advocating for TFW’s through a round table discussion where the speakers Zoe Lambert from the Worker Resource Centre, Marco Luciano from Migrante Alberta and Harry Dominguez Barbosa from CCIS talked about labor rights violations, limited resources available to TFW’s and advocated for measures to fill gaps in policies for TFW’s.

As of April 2023, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is moving to online LMIA applications. Consult the LMIA Online Portal Resources page frequently for details and updates.

Get a head start and use the LMIA Online Portal today!

To read more, please click here

Starting January 30, 2023, family members of most foreign workers can apply for an open work permit. A few exceptions may apply to family members of low-skilled workers.

To learn more click here

The Government of Canada announced on December 2, 2022  the extension of work permits to family members of temporary foreign workers. Expanding the eligibility for work permits to family members accompanying the principal applicant to Canada will help address labour shortages by assisting employers in finding the workers they need.

Starting in January 2023, through a temporary 2-year measure, Canada will expand eligibility to work in Canada to spouses and working-age children through a phased approach for workers at all skill levels.

The temporary measure will be implemented in 3 phases to ensure its successful implementation:

• Phase 1 will enable family members of workers coming to Canada through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program or the International Mobility Program to apply for an open work permit.
• Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the TFW Program, following consultations.
• Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess operational feasibility for expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.

There will be no changes to the TFW Program, these changes will only apply to spouses and working-age children of temporary foreign workers.

Read More >>

On September 26, 2022, The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion Carla Qualtrough and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) Sean Fraser announced that new amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Temporary Foreign Workers) are now in force. These 13 new regulatory amendments include measures to strengthen protections for TFWs and will enhance the integrity of the TFW Program and the International Mobility Program (IMP) to read more:

Government of Canada strengthens protections for temporary foreign workers as new regulations come into force – Canada.ca

Alberta’s Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Advisory Office helps temporary foreign workers, international students (with work authorization) and employers understand their rights and find solutions to situations involving unfair, unsafe or unhealthy working conditions

Temporary Foreign Workers | Alberta.ca

Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Prairie Region Project Research

The Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) and the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) jointly commissioned Pivotal Research Inc. (Pivotal Research) to conduct policy research focused on Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) in the Prairie provinces—encompassing the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan—building on the TFW Prairie Region Project to provide AAISA and CCIS with insights and opportunities to strengthen the TFW-serving ecosystem across the Prairie region.

>> Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Prairie Region Project

Prairie organizations connect to increase outreach to temporary foreign workers amidst COVID-19 challenges

Sandra LeBlanc/News Editor

Anthony Huynh recalls one interview in particular in which a temporary foreign worker told him “thank you for talking to me.” 

“I’m honoured, right? But at the same time, it also shows me that it’s not right,” Huynh said. “There needs to be systemic and structural changes.”

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY of Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Prairie Region Support Project Phase 1

 About the Project. The Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) Prairie Region Support Project included immigrant-sector Service Providing Organizations (SPO’s) and Umbrella Organizations across five project zones (Northern/Central Alberta, Southern Alberta, Manitoba, Northern/Central Saskatchewan, and Southern Saskatchewan) in a collective effort to disseminate information, form local support networks, and mitigate COVID-19-related issues. CCIS played a central role, as the contract holder and fiscal agent but also for overall project management and coordination – as well as being one of the immigrant-serving SPO’s engaged in frontline service delivery. The evaluation was completed by Habitus Collective and included a post-support survey to clients, interview/survey with employers, focus groups and interviews with SPO and Umbrella organization staff, meeting observation, document review, and data analysis.

Most Canadians support permanent immigration pathways for temporary foreign workers | Canada Immigration News (cicnews.com)

The majority of Canadians want to see temporary workers in the agricultural sector become permanent residents, according to a new survey.

From: Transport Canada

News release

October 29, 2021                       Ottawa                Transport Canada       

Requirements effective October 30

As the Government of Canada announced on August 13, travellers in the federally regulated air and rail sectors will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. After extensive consultations, Transport Canada issued the final orders and guidance to airlines and railways to implement the vaccination requirements for travellers which are effective at 3 AM (EDT) October 30, 2021. The vaccination requirements will apply to all travellers 12 years of age plus four months who are:

• Air passengers flying on domestic, transborder, or international flights departing from certain airports in Canada; and
• Rail passengers on VIA Rail and Rocky Mountaineer trains.

Travellers will need to show airlines and railways proof of vaccination. For a short transition period until November 29, 2021, travellers have the option to show proof of a valid COVID-19 molecular test in order to board. Airlines and railways will be responsible for confirming the vaccination status of travellers. In the aviation mode, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will also support operators by confirming vaccination status.

“The health and safety of temporary foreign workers continues to be a key priority for the Government of Canada. While we have made progress, there continues to be gaps. We know that temporary foreign workers need better information about their rights, and better health and safety protections. Workers also need to be protected from reprisal if they come forward with a complaint, and bad actors need to be prevented from participating in the program. Through these enhanced regulatory amendments, the Government is working towards providing stronger worker protection and ensuring greater employer compliance.”
- Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough

“The Government of Canada takes the safety and dignity of foreign workers very seriously. Everyone deserves a work environment where they are safe and their rights are respected. These amendments will help us further improve worker protection and strengthen our ability to ensure employers follow the rules governing both the International Mobility Program and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.”
- Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marco E. L. Mendicino

• The proposed regulations were pre-published on July 10, 2021 in the Canada Gazette Part 1. Canadians, employers and stakeholders were invited to provide comments within 30 days.   

SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin

The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS)through Brooks and County Immigration Society (BCIS)recently handed out 115 food hampers to temporary foreign workers that have been affected by COVID 19.
CCIS was funded by the federal government to support agricultural workers who were affected by the virus and although the program is nearing the end, CCIS continues to help.
“We’re still trying to see what we can continue to support now that the program is done,” said Jessica Juen, program coordinator at CCIS.
She said some people who were working the agricultural sector were laid off because some businesses closed or their hours were reduced.
There are between 800 and 1,000 temporary foreign workers in the area from Philippines, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago.
Although the province is expected to substantially open on July 1 because the threshold of 70 per cent of Albertans have received at least one vaccine, less than 50 per cent of city/county residents have been vaccinated.

Source: https://brooksbulletin.com/ccis-helps-brooks-area-ag-workers-through-covid/

The number of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada surged for two decades prior to 2014, at which time Canada introduced immigration reforms aimed at curtailing their economic …

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