Canada is experiencing labour shortages in several sectors and regions across the country. While Canada’s immigration policy is designed to sustain the country’s economic development, the overall program is not meeting the labour market needs of numerous sectors, including, most notably, those of the agri-food industry.

In this report, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (the Committee) examines the immigration programs designed to respond to Canada’s labour needs. The report highlights witness testimony about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and its related Labour Market Impact Assessment process. It recommends policy improvements that help both employers and workers. It discusses additional immigration programs, like the Provincial Nominee Program, and different pilot programs, such as the Atlantic Immigration Pilot program, the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot programs, the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program and the Agri-Food Pilot program. It also considers the Government of Canada’s recently announced pathways to permanent residence for over 90,000 essential temporary workers and international graduates.

The Committee makes recommendations to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The Committee urges ESDC to increase the maximum percentage of temporary foreign workers and create a “trusted employer” designation under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. It recommends exempting selected tourist regions from the 6% unemployment limit and ensuring that Service Canada officers are knowledgeable of the regions and industries in which they examine Labour Market Impact Assessments and conduct audits.

The Committee also urges IRCC to offer more accessible pathways to permanent residence in order to prevent the abuse of foreign workers with precarious status or of out-of-status individuals. It recommends providing continued support to rural and northern communities through the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot program. The Committee also recommends recognizing industry-specific training and accepting on‑the-job training as equivalent to formal education. The Committee asks IRCC to give more advance notice and details of requirements when announcing new public policies or programs. The Committee has additional recommendations that touch on the flexibility, mobility and protection of foreign labour. Finally, the Committee recommends that IRCC, as part of the recently announced pathways, reimburses part of the fee if a low-wage permanent resident application is unsuccessful.