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The status of Canada’s temporary foreign workers is back in the news with their expected exodus on April 1. This exodus has to be concerning for franchises in the food service and hospitality industry because many of those leaving are likely their employees.

In April 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada implemented a four-year limit for TFWs in Canada. Not all foreign workers are subject to this limit, but those who are can only work in Canada for up to four years at a time. Once they reach the cap they have to leave the country and cannot re-apply for another work permit until at least four years have passed.

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The program and its four-year cap came under fire last year following media coverage and public outrage over perceived abuses by employers, including allegations that TFWs were displacing Canadians and being paid less than their Canadian counterparts. An overhaul of the TFWP in 2014 included stricter rules on wages that can be offered and restrictions on how many low-wage TFWs can be hired by a given employer. In regions where unemployment rates are high, some franchises cannot access foreign workers through the TFWP at all, although there are ways foreign workers can enter Canada under other categories.