Ottawa publishes ‘blacklist’ of foreign worker program abusers

OTTAWA—The Conservative government has unveiled its so-called employer “blacklist”—a publicly-listed register of companies who are suspected of abusing the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Announced by Employment Minister Jason Kenney, the published list of companies that have had their labour market opinions (LMOs) revoked or suspended was launched in a bid to discourage firms from abusing the revamped program.

So far three companies across the country are listed on the Employment and Social Development Canada website.

All restaurants, the companies are located in British Columbia, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.

“(This) announcement sends a clear message that we are taking action against employers who abuse the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and that employers who break the rules will be publicly named and face serious consequences,” Kenney said in a statement.

Under revamped foreign worker legislation, Ottawa can suspend or revoke LMOs of employers found or suspected to be non-compliant with the program.

A revoked LMO can no longer be used for a temporary foreign worker to obtain a work permit.

The new rules also allow Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) to revoke any outstanding work permits.

A suspended LMO means work permits will not be issued until a CIC investigation is completed.

Ottawa uses a variety of tactics to crack down on program abuse, including on-site inspections and LMO application processing fees.

“Canadians must always be first in line for available jobs,” Kenney said. “Our government will not tolerate any abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.”