US EditionNumber of temporary worker applications fell as fine total increased, government says
New rules halved temporary foreign worker applications and doubled fines to nearly $5 million, aiming to protect workers and address youth unemployment, government data shows.
- The Canadian Press reported on October 6, 2025, that Ottawa collected record fines for violations of the temporary foreign worker program this past year.
- New rules introduced last September required Ottawa to refuse permit applications in areas with unemployment above six per cent, except specific sectors, making permits harder to obtain.
- Since these rule changes, the number of applications for the temporary foreign worker program dropped by half overall, including a 70 per cent decline for low-wage positions.
- Employment and Social Development Canada issued fines totaling nearly $4.9 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year, with Bolero Shellfish Processing Inc. receiving a record $1 million penalty.
- These enforcement actions and the drop in applications are happening against a backdrop of high unemployment among young people and recent Conservative demands to terminate the program, even though it currently represents just a small fraction of all workers in Canada.
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Ottawa reported that it collected close to $4.9 million in fines for non-compliance in fiscal year 2024-2025.
The Chronicle-Journal
Number of temporary worker applications fell as fine total increased, government says
OTTAWA - Ottawa ordered companies to pay almost $5 million in fines in the last fiscal year for failing to comply with the rules for temporary foreign worker permits, new government data shows.
Ottawa imposed close to 5 million fines on companies for non-compliance with the Temporary Work Permit (TPT) rules they received, according to new government data.
Number of Temporary Worker Applications Falls as Fines Rise, Government Says
Ottawa says the number of temporary foreign worker applications has dropped by half since September 2024, when new rules were introduced to make it harder to get a permit. Employment and Social Development Canada also says it collected nearly $4.9 million in fines for non-compliance, including the largest penalty ever imposed under the temporary foreign worker program. Bolero Shellfish Processing Inc. of New Brunswick was fined $1 million and wa…
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