Starting November 8, 2024, new rules in Canada will impact employers hiring foreign workers through the TFW program. The main change concerns wages: the minimum wage for foreign workers in the high-wage category will now be 20% higher than the regional average. This means an increase of $5–8 per hour, depending on the province.
If employers cannot offer this wage, the job will be classified as low-wage. This category comes with stricter rules. Employers must provide housing and transportation for workers, make additional efforts to hire Canadian employees, and adhere to limits on the number of foreign workers.
These changes aim to encourage companies to hire more Canadians rather than relying on foreign labor. The government estimates that approximately 34,000 jobs will shift to the low-wage category, and the number of approved applications for foreign workers will decrease by 20,000.
As a result, employers will have to pay more or adapt to the new conditions, while Canadian workers are expected to gain more employment opportunities.
Honestly, I doubt this will have the intended effect—it’s more likely to backfire…
