Ottawa will tighten access to the low-wage temporary foreign worker program, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday morning before heading to a three-day federal cabinet retreat.
This announcement follows that of Premier François Legault last week, but it covers a broader territory. Quebec will freeze access to the program as of September 3, but only for the Montreal region.
The sectors exempt from the tightening will be the same in the rest of Canada: construction, health, food processing.
Post-pandemic easing served the business community well, Trudeau said, but “today’s economy is different,” citing falling inflation and rising unemployment.
“We don’t need so many temporary foreign workers anymore. We need businesses that invest in training and technology, not increase their reliance on low-cost labour,” said the Prime Minister. It’s time to invest in Canadians, he insisted.
The high-wage component of the same program is also under scrutiny by the Minister of Immigration, as part of a general accelerated review lasting 90 days.
Further details will follow.
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