Employers non-compliant with TFW program are penalized

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is reporting that an employer in the farming sector was fined $75,000 and banned from the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program for five years for failing to provide required documentation to inspectors, being absent from a scheduled meeting with inspectors, and failing to demonstrate they were operating a legitimate business. This penalty was laid in the period spanning April 1 to September 30, 2024.

The Government of Canada monitors employer activity through a strict employer compliance regime. It has taken additional steps in recent years to combat program misuse, improve the quality and reach of inspections, and increase penalties for non-compliant employers.

Recent inspection data highlights the reach and impact of these improvements. Between April 1 and September 30, 2024, ESDC conducted 649 employer compliance inspections, of which 11 per cent were found to be non-compliant. Penalties for non-compliant employers have increased in comparison to the previous year. During this six-month period, ESDC issued $2.1 million in Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP), more than double the amount in the same period in 2023. Inspections during this time resulted in 20 employers being banned from the TFW Program, a fivefold increase from the same time span last year.

Banned employers range from a seafood product preparation and packaging operation to an employer in janitorial maintenance.