The Government of Canada is working with the agriculture sector to modernize the agriculture stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program assists Canadian employers with filling their labour requirements when qualified Canadians and permanent residents are not available and ensures that temporary foreign workers are protected while in Canada. The Program is employer demand-driven and is an option for employers to address immediate skills and labour needs on a temporary basis.
The current review is an attempt at improving the TFW Program through consultation with industry specialists. The goal is to create a fairer set of rules and better conditions for temporary workers, among other things.
Over 490 stakeholders were consulted through various means, such as in-person consultations, phone interviews, and written responses. Besides correspondence with industry professionals, multiple studies were performed into the labour market, as well as worker housing.
The information collected through the Review will be a key input as the government considers how to modernize the Primary Agriculture Stream.