Improving Clarity, Transparency and Accountability of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

(Source: http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/jobs/foreign_workers/reform/index.shtml) Date modified:2014-06-25

To offer greater clarity and transparency, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is being re-organized into two distinct programs. This will reduce confusion and better reflect the major differences between the various streams.

The TFWP will now refer to only those streams under which foreign workers enter Canada at the request of employers following approval through a new Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The new International Mobility Programs (IMP) will include those streams in which foreign nationals are not subject to an LMIA, and whose primary objective is to advance Canada’s broad economic and cultural national interest, rather than filling particular jobs. These new categories will improve accountability, with Employment and Social Development Canada being the lead department for the TFWP, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada the lead department for the IMP.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program Objective: Last resort for employers to fill jobs for which qualified Canadians are not available	International Mobility Programs Objective: To advance Canada’s broad economic and cultural national interest
Based on employer demand to fill specific jobs	Not based on employer demand
Unilateral and discretionary	Base largely on multilateral/bilateral agreements with other countries (e.g. NAFTA, GATS)
Employer must pass Labour Market Impact Assessment (formerly LMO)	No Labour Market Impact Assessment required
Lead department ESDC	Lead department CIC
No reciprocity	Based largely on reciprocity
Employer-specific work permits (TFWs tied to one employer)	Generally open permits (participants have greater mobility)
Majority are low-skilled (e.g. farm workers)	Majority are high skill / high wage
Last and limited resort because no Canadians are available	Workers & reciprocity are deemed to be in the national economic and cultural interest
Main source countries are developing countries	Main source countries are highly developed

In the interest of greater transparency and accountability, data for the TFWP and IMP have been re-organized so that Canadians can accurately compare statistics on the two distinct programs going back 10 years. Of the 221,273 foreign nationals entering Canada in 2013, 62 percent (137,533) came in under the IMP, the other 38 percent, or (83,740), came in under the TFWP.

The following table provides historical data (2003–2013) on overall numbers of foreign nationals working in Canada by program stream.

Canada – Entries* of Temporary residents** not subject to Labour Market Impact Assessment by sub-status 2002-2013***
Yearly sub-status	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
International Mobility Program
NAFTA	13,422	11,680	11,517	11,877	13,359	14,083	15,567	14,986	17,500	18,557	19,868	19,806
Other FTA	385	265	288	308	357	375	517	469	507	657	735	777
International agreements	2,829	3,189	4,871	1,461	1,698	2,108	2,681	2,312	1,313	972	841	776
Provincial agreements	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	359	1,571	2,519	4,353	6,429
GATS	1,684	617	502	434	521	636	602	370	358	326	282	285
Workers – International arrangements subtotal	18,320	15,751	17,178	14,080	15,935	17,202	19,367	18,496	21,249	23,031	26,079	28,073
Reciprocal employment	19,100	20,944	24,790	31,413	34,173	35,964	44,623	48,944	54,275	59,208	63,586	58,939
Employment benefit	7,643	7,882	7,841	8,173	9,951	10,113	10,850	10,074	13,405	14,514	15,453	15,730
Spouse/common law partner	2,804	3,491	4,389	5,194	6,314	8,158	9,856	9,249	9,130	10,776	12,253	15,251
Research and studies related	3,465	3,373	3,460	3,650	4,017	5,171	6,221	6,626	7,022	9,712	11,294	15,791
Other Canadian interests¹	4,716	1,311	1,135	1,778	1,624	1,486	1,436	1,536	1,808	1,959	2,231	2,145
Workers – Canadian interests subtotal	37,728	37,001	41,615	50,208	56,079	60,892	72,986	76,429	85,640	96,169	104,817	107,856
Other work permit holders without LMO subtotal²	4,734	985	1,064	886	945	1,302	1,149	1,344	1,025	875	1,522	1,604
International Mobility Programs Total	60,782	53,737	59,857	65,174	72,959	79,396	93,502	96,269	107,914	120,075	132,418	137,533
International students Total	76,290	69,215	65,512	67,404	71,379	73,770	79,264	84,870	95,257	98,394	104,829	111,841
Humanitarian population Total	34,696	32,607	26,138	20,427	23,798	29,592	37,953	34,194	24,965	26,547	21,417	10,992
Total	171,768	155,559	151,507	153,005	168,136	182,758	210,719	215,333	228,136	245,016	258,664	260,366

¹ Persons in the Canadian Interests category are temporary residents with work permits without LMO. The term “Canadian interests” is used to describe certain categories of workers who are deemed to provide a social, cultural or economic benefit to Canada.

² Data group under this category includes Permanent resident applicants in Canada. This category includes an increasing number of individuals with open work permits awaiting final PR approval through the LCP category and Bridging Open Work Permits.

Canada – Entries* of Temporary Foreign Worker work permit holders by sub-status 2002-2013***
Yearly sub-status	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Information Technology Workers	830	1,050	1,298	1,760	2,130	2,971	3,190	2,687	2,867	612	213	29
Other high-skilled workers with LMO³	23,254	21,969	22,453	24,049	26,201	30,042	31,992	26,414	22,471	23,889	28,084	27,643
High-skilled workers Total	24,084	23,019	23,751	25,809	28,331	33,013	35,182	29,101	25,338	24,501	28,297	27,672
Live-in Caregiver Program	4,664	5,007	6,624	7,103	9,050	12,930	11,848	8,740	7,521	5,878	6,242	4,671
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program	18,622	18,698	19,049	20,282	21,253	22,571	24,188	23,386	23,933	24,693	25,710	27,566
Low Skill Pilot Program – Primary agriculture⁴	123	341	430	877	2,231	3,170	4,513	4,844	5,161	6,209	6,632	7,099
Low Skill Pilot Program – Other	2,145	1,985	2,355	2,892	4,298	12,139	21,147	14,167	8,961	8,763	13,709	16,315
Low Skill Pilot Program subtotal	2,268	2,326	2,785	3,769	6,529	15,309	25,660	19,011	14,122	14,972	20,341	23,414
Other low-skilled workers with LMO⁵	1	2	0	2	1	6	4	1	3	2	1	0
Low-skilled workers Total	25,555	26,033	28,458	31,156	36,833	50,816	61,700	51,138	45,579	45,545	52,294	55,651
Other Total⁶	192	142	161	223	323	299	349	225	222	345	373	417
Temporary Foreign Worker Program Total	49,831	49,194	52,370	57,188	65,487	84,128	97,231	80,464	71,139	70,391	80,964	83,740

³ Other high-skilled workers with LMO include some Live-in Caregiver Program and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

⁴ Intended occupation: NOC 8431, 8432, 8611, 8251, 8252, 8254, 8256

⁵ Other low-skilled workers with LMO include some Information Technology Workers

⁶ This group includes workers that do not fall into the high-skill or low-skill occupation categories

Source: Citizenship & Immigration Canada, RDM Preliminary 2013 Data

*Entries includes both initial entries and re-entries

**This chart does not include data on general visitors or on any work-permit exempt foreign nationals who can work in Canada (e.g., business visitors, diplomats, visiting military, clergy, etc.) and who have not been issued a visitor record upon entering Canada.

***Data for 2013 are preliminary estimates and are subject to change. For 2002-2012, these are updated numbers and different from those of Facts and Figures 2012.

A temporary resident who has been granted permanent resident status on or before the observation date (December 1) is excluded from the count from their grant date onwards. Temporary residents are grouped according to the principal reason for residing in Canada during the calendar year.

Canada – Temporary residents* not subject to Labour Market Impact Assessment present** on December 1st by sub-status 2002-2013***
Yearly sub-status	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
International Mobility Programs
NAFTA	11,532	11,161	11,462	12,172	13,224	14,229	15,974	16,318	19,251	21,748	23,927	25,192
Other FTA	341	314	308	356	412	452	603	628	632	786	959	1,059
International agreements	2,014	2,337	3,125	1,828	2,209	3,124	4,053	3,973	2,100	1,417	1,078	1,022
Provincial agreements	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1,120	5,417	9,935	11,502	12,985
GATS	2,328	1,219	629	448	448	532	511	414	334	263	246	229
Workers – International arrangements subtotal	16,215	15,031	15,524	14,804	16,293	18,337	21,141	22,453	27,734	34,149	37,712	40,487
Reciprocal employment	16,377	18,635	23,544	28,457	30,854	32,747	40,941	52,837	59,690	64,892	68,121	68,298
Employment benefit	6,563	7,215	8,111	9,122	11,045	11,765	12,709	13,325	15,325	24,494	37,557	48,961
Spouse/common law partner	5,484	8,126	10,544	12,682	14,767	17,974	21,178	23,310	23,520	26,014	29,424	35,647
Research and studies related	5,321	5,838	6,648	7,817	9,625	12,015	15,764	22,835	28,719	36,202	44,761	58,106
Other Canadian interests¹	1,882	1,130	1,076	1,190	1,405	1,518	1,429	1,438	1,408	1,490	1,820	1,925
Workers – Canadian interests subtotal	35,627	40,944	49,923	59,268	67,696	76,019	92,021	113,745	128,662	153,092	181,683	212,937
Other work permit holders without LMO subtotal²	735	1,487	1,919	1,962	1,976	2,507	2,149	2,239	2,305	3,551	5,491	6,166
International Mobility Programs Total	52,577	57,462	67,366	76,034	85,965	96,863	115,311	138,437	158,701	190,792	224,886	259,590
International students Total	150,287	159,419	164,506	166,846	169,812	175,642	177,645	195,760	217,882	239,044	265,414	293,503
Humanitarian population Total	120,866	126,231	117,887	102,629	92,601	90,729	103,916	113,087	108,911	103,717	95,875	79,013
Total	323,730	343,112	349,759	345,509	348,378	363,234	396,872	447,284	485,494	533,553	586,175	632,106

Canada – Temporary Foreign Worker work permit holders present** on December 1st by sub-status 2002-2013***
Yearly sub-status	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Information Technology Workers	1,310	1,391	1,652	1,981	2,327	3,064	3,571	3,557	3,889	1,777	761	218
Other high-skilled workers with LMO3	15,018	16,566	17,713	19,552	22,222	29,374	38,199	38,102	29,420	27,383	32,652	41,488
High-skilled workers Total	16,328	17,957	19,365	21,533	24,549	32,438	41,770	41,659	33,309	29,160	33,413	41,706
Live-in Caregiver Program	11,972	13,854	17,372	20,350	24,379	33,675	38,423	39,559	36,364	28,519	23,109	16,927
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program	18,594	18,696	18,909	20,250	21,259	22,454	24,070	23,442	23,969	24,669	25,789	27,889
Low Skill Pilot Program – Primary agriculture4	112	339	422	405	1,075	1,849	2,826	3,414	3,722	4,448	5,430	6,056
Low Skill Pilot Program – Other	1,192	1,239	1,443	1,872	3,232	11,488	26,730	33,813	25,317	21,209	24,539	33,757
Low Skill Pilot Program subtotal	1,304	1,578	1,865	2,277	4,307	13,337	29,556	37,227	29,039	25,657	29,969	39,813
Other low-skilled workers with LMO5	159	12	1	1	0	3	3	3	5	5	2	1
Low-skilled workers Total	32,029	34,140	38,147	42,878	49,945	69,469	92,052	100,231	89,377	78,850	78,869	84,630
Other Total6	152	103	128	199	265	260	334	319	277	303	368	480
Temporary Foreign Worker Program Total	48,509	52,200	57,640	64,610	74,759	102,167	134,156	142,209	122,963	108,313	112,650	126,816

³ Other high-skilled workers with LMO include some Live-in Caregiver Program and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

⁴ Intended occupation: NOC 8431, 8432, 8611, 8251, 8252, 8254, 8256

⁵ Other low-skilled workers with LMO include some Information Technology Workers

⁶ This group includes workers that do not fall into the high-skill or low-skill occupation categories

Source: Citizenship & Immigration Canada, RDM Preliminary 2013 Data

*This chart does not include data on general visitors or on any work-permit exempt foreign nationals who can work in Canada (e.g., business visitors, diplomats, visiting military, clergy, etc.) and who have not been issued a visitor record upon entering Canada.

**Present statistic measures the number of temporary residents with a valid document on December 1st of the observation year.

***Data for 2013 are preliminary estimates and are subject to change. For 2002-2012, these are updated numbers and different from those of Facts and Figures 2012.

**Table 5: Percentatge or Foreign Workers in Canada’s Workforce**
Yearly Status	2013	% of Canadian workforce (19m)
LMO Exempt
NAFTA	19,806	0.10
Other FTA	777	0.004
International agreements	776	0.004
Provincial agreements	6,429	0.03
GATS	285	0.001
Reciprocal employment	59,939	0.31
Employment benefit	15,730	0.08
Spouse/common law partner	15,251	0.08
Research and studies related	58,791	0.31
Other Canadian interests	2,145	0.01
Other workers without LMO	1,604	0.008
LMO Exempt Worker Total	137,533	0.72
LMO Required
Live-in caregiver program	4,671	0.02
Seasonal agricultural worker program	27,566	0.14
Low skill	23,414	0.12
High skill	27,762–	0.14
LMO Required Total	83,740	0.44
Foreign workers Total	221,273	1.16

Publicly Reporting More Data

To further increase transparency and accountability beginning in fall 2014, EDSC will publicly post data on the number of temporary foreign workers approved through the TFWP on a quarterly basis and will post the names of corporations that receive positive LMIAs.

Improving Clarity, Transparency and Accountability of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Publicly Reporting More Data

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