Explainer
Canada’s temporary foreign worker program (TFWP) has brought in hundreds of thousands of workers since starting in the early 1970s to fill short-term vacancies in agriculture, service, construction, health care, and other core industries.
The program has grown massively since it began, particularly in recent years, with the number of temporary workers (TFWs) rising from 356,000 in 2011 to 845,000 in 2021, according to Statistics Canada.
Recent political discourse and policy changes have cast a spotlight on the program and its impact on the Canadian workforce and economy.
Liberal Government Changes, Political Opposition to TFWP
The TFWP has faced pushback in recent years, with the Liberal government announcing in March 2024 that the number of temporary residents would be reduced from 6.5 percent of Canada’s population to 5 percent in the next three years, including TFWs and international students. Ottawa also said in August 2024 that no more than 10 percent of an employer’s total workforce can be TFWs….