Today, the federal government announced that some time-limited measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Workforce Solutions Road Map will not be renewed and will end, earlier than planned, this spring.
Effective May 1, 2024:
- New Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will be valid for 6 months (a decrease from 12 months)
- All employers identified in the 2022 Workforce Solutions Road Map will have a reduction from 30% to 20% of their total workforce that can come in through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, under the low wage stream, with an exception for construction and health care sectors
- Employers will need to explore every option before applying for an LMIA – including recruiting asylum seekers with valid work permits here in Canada.
As of January 1st, 2024, employers are additionally required to annually review the wages of temporary foreign workers to ensure they reflect increases to prevailing wage rates for their given occupation and region of work.
TIAO will be engaging provincial partners to assess the impact of these changes on accommodations, resorts, food and beverage, and other tourism and hospitality sectors that rely on temporary foreign workers to meet employment demand.
To read the news release, click here.