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Canada’s billion-dollar TV and film business could be at risk because of the government’s new temporary foreign worker rules, industry insiders are warning.

International actors, and film and TV production crews are being classified as temporary foreign workers, and subject to a $1,000 fee and 15-day waiting period under Employment Minister Jason Kenney’s reform of the controversial program.

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Shawn Williamson, president of Brightlight Pictures in Vancouver, which produces such shows such as Fox’s Witches of East End and ABC’s Mistresses, said if they can’t get U.S. actors in quickly and efficiently to work around tight shooting schedules, they will lose the business.

“We need guest stars in American-financed TV to facilitate bringing the shows up here. If we can’t get American actors in, we will effectively lose the industry,” he said.

Mr. Williamson said he is already knows of one case where a shoot had to be postponed because a permit was not granted on time.