CIMM – Safeguards Against Employer Abuse and Exploitation – November 07, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

In fiscal year 2022-2023, 3,381 employers were inspected under the International Mobility Program (IMP); 13 employers were found non-compliant.
From program inception in fiscal year 2015-2016 to the end of the third quarter of fiscal year 2023-2024, more than $940,000 in compensation has been paid to foreign workers as a result of employers not providing the same wages, occupation, or working conditions as set out in the offer of employment.
From the inception of the IMP in 2015, to September 30, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has also imposed 138 Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs), totaling over $670,000.

Canadian employers hiring foreign workers on employer-specific work permits are subject to an employer compliance regime to promote safe and fair working conditions for foreign workers and to help prevent program misuse.
Non-compliant employers may be subject to consequences which include a warning letter, AMPs, and temporary or permanent ineligibility from hiring temporary foreign workers.

The Employer Compliance Regime seeks to safeguard workers against employer abuse and exploitation through a suite of conditions on employers identified in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
Recently, the government introduced new and stronger protections for temporary foreign workers through amendments to IRPR, invested $49.5M in the Migrant Worker Support Program, and improved the quality of employer inspections.
A confidential tip line is available to anonymously report situations of potential wrongdoing. If criminal activity is suspected, the information is forwarded to law enforcement agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency.
In September 2022, new regulations came into force to strengthen the Government’s ability to conduct inspections. The changes expanded the definition of abuse to include reprisals should the worker report instances of an employer’s non-compliance with program conditions.
Results of employer compliance inspections under the International Mobility Program show that the most frequent form of employer non-compliance relates to missing wages including overtime hours and vacation pay.

2024-03-06