Program needs 'focused approach that targets specific, strategic sectors and needs in specific regions,' says Carney
The federal government is currently working on further changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
In an address to the Liberal caucus in Edmonton, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that, moving forward, the TFWP “must have a focused approach that targets specific, strategic sectors and needs in specific regions,” reported CIC News.
He added that the government is actively working toward these objectives.
Recently, British Columbia Premier David Eby called for the cancellation or significant reform of the TFWP, citing concerns that the current system is contributing to ongoing challenges in the province.
And 44% of Canadians support phasing out the program, while 30% are opposed and 18% are neutral or undecided, reported Abacus Data.
'Sustainable levels' for immigration
Carney said the government is working to set goals and adjust the program to ease pressure on housing, public infrastructure, and social services, while supporting economic growth, according to a separate report from The Canadian Press (CP) posted in Commercial Daily News.
He stated that the government’s plan to return immigration rates to “sustainable levels” includes reducing the number of non-permanent residents to less than five per cent of the total population.
According to Statistics Canada (StatCan), on April 1, there were 2,959,825 non-permanent residents in Canada, accounting for 7.1% of the total population. This was down from a peak of 7.4% of the population on Oct. 1, 2024. The number of non-permanent residents has dropped by 61,111 since Jan. 1, 2025.
“Canada admitted 104,256 immigrants in the first quarter of 2025. This was the smallest number admitted in a first quarter in four years and reflects a total permanent immigration target for 2025,” reported StatCan. “However, prior to 2022, Canada had never welcomed more than 86,246 immigrants in a first quarter (which occurred in the first quarter of 2016).”
In May, a group of academics called on the federal government to ensure that migrant agricultural workers arriving in Canada through the TFWP are provided with adequate housing. Meanwhile, the rate of youth unemployment in Canada has reached levels beyond what could be expected, according to a CIBC report.
Many employers heavily rely on the TFWP. However, previously, a United Nations (UN) official said that the TFWP “serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, as it institutionalizes asymmetries of power that favour employers and prevent workers from exercising their rights”.
