Ottawa says the number of temporary foreign worker applications has dropped by half since September 2024, when new rules were introduced to make it harder to get a permit.
Employment and Social Development Canada also says it collected nearly $4.9 million in fines for non-compliance, including the largest penalty ever imposed under the temporary foreign worker program.
Bolero Shellfish Processing Inc. of New Brunswick was fined $1 million and was banned from the program for 10 years on Sept. 17.
The reasons cited by the federal government for imposing the penalty include breaking federal or provincial hiring laws, paying less than the listed offer and not doing enough to ensure the workplace is free of physical, sexual, financial and/or psychological abuse….