Canada government cracks down on temporary foreign workers program

Vancouver: In a landmark decision, the Government of Canada has announced the permanent closure of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) program, aiming to tackle exploitation in various sectors such as transportation, food services, health care, and domestic work.

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault declared the shutdown of the program, which has been criticized for enabling certain business owners to unlawfully profit by recruiting foreign workers under the guise of skilled labor.

The decision has been welcomed by Canadians, who view it as a necessary but overdue action. According to a letter from the Department of Employment and Social Development, the new policy will prioritize the rejection of applications submitted under this program, signaling a shift in Canada’s approach to managing temporary foreign labor.

Minister Boissonnault said that the LMIA program had led to various forms of exploitation, including the payment of low wages to foreign workers. Data shows that in 2018, Canada admitted 108,988 foreigners through the LMIA program, and this number more than doubled to 239,646 by 2023.