Québec suspends the Temporary Foreign Worker Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) for 6 months on the island of Montreal

Montreal, August 20, 2024 – Quebec Premier François Legault and the Minister of Immigration, Francization, and Integration, Christine Fréchette, recently announced new measures leading to the suspension of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) on the Island of Montreal. Starting from September 3 and for a period of six months, the reception of applications for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program will be suspended for jobs with salaries below $57,000 per year. Exceptions will be made for key sectors such as health, education, construction, agriculture, and food processing.

The administrative region of Montreal (06) corresponds to the Island of Montreal, which includes the following municipalities: Baie-D’Urfé, Beaconsfield, Côte-Saint-Luc, Dollard-Des Ormeaux, Dorval, Hampstead, Kirkland, L’Île-Dorval, Montreal, Montreal-East, Montreal-West, Mount Royal, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, and Westmount. Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications affected by the suspension should not be submitted. If an application is submitted that falls under the suspension, it will not be processed by the Ministry, and a notice of inadmissibility will be sent to the employer.

This suspension applies to all LMIA applications where the offered salary is below the current median hourly wage in Quebec ($27.47/hour), including those submitted under the simplified processing stream and those submitted for the renewal of work permits for temporary foreign workers already employed.

This decision comes in response to the significant increase in the number of non-permanent residents in Quebec, which doubled between 2021 and 2024, reaching 600,000 as of April 1, 2024. “We must reduce the number of temporary immigrants in Montreal to protect the French language and our public services” emphasized Premier Legault, who also highlighted the federal government’s responsibility in the surge of temporary immigrants in Quebec.

Christine Fréchette, for her part, emphasized the pressure that temporary immigration places on the French language, public services, and housing in Quebec. “Montreal businesses must prioritize hiring individuals who are already here before turning to foreign labor” stated the Minister, referring to the challenges posed by rising unemployment and the presence of unemployed asylum seekers in the city.

These new measures raise serious concerns among businesses whose survival and success heavily depend on temporary foreign workers. For these businesses, restricting the arrival of these workers risks causing critical service interruptions, jeopardizing their ability to maintain operations and grow in an already complex market. The local workforce, insufficient to meet their needs, cannot fill these positions.

For more details, these announcements are based on official releases available on the following websites : Communiqué sur la limitation de l’augmentation du nombre de résidents non permanents and Informations sur l’embauche de travailleurs étrangers temporaires.