Good news for family members of temporary foreign workers!

This week some good news was announced for family members looking to accompany their partners or parents to Canada. On December 2, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, in conjunction with the Honourable Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance) announced that work permits will be extended to family members of temporary foreign workers (TFWs). This is another positive step taken by IRCC in an attempt to address the current labour market shortages in Canada. You can read the full news release from IRCC here.

What options were available to family members of TFWs until now?

Until now, only the spouses of a temporary foreign worker in a high-skilled occupation, were eligible to obtain a dependant work permit and accompany their partner to Canada. This meant that many family members of TFWs in a wide range of positions were not eligible to accompany their partner to Canada, nor were other family members. If the family member was not eligible for other immigration pathways on their own, this restriction resulted in families having to make the difficult decision to live apart for lengthy periods of time, or not to come to Canada at all.

What new measures are being implemented?

 In the December 2, 2022 news release, Ministers Fraser and Boissonnault announced a temporary measure, which extends the eligibility for open work permits for family members to include spouses and working-age children of TFWs at all skill levels. These changes are expected to affect over 200,000 foreign workers, who could now be eligible to apply to work in Canada. 

When will the new measures come into effect?

This is a temporary two-year measure which IRCC plans to implement through a phased approach, starting in January 2023.

How will the temporary measure be implemented?

 The temporary changes will be implemented in three phases: 

1.     Firstly, family members of TFWs in the high-wage stream of the TFW program or International Mobility Program will become eligible to apply for a work permit.

2.     Secondly, the measures will be expanded to family members of TFWs from the low-wage stream of the TFW program, following consultations;

3.     Finally, the third phase will assess the operational feasibility to expand the measure to family members of agricultural workers, by consulting with agricultural stakeholders.

What benefits will we see from this temporary measure?

The temporary measure will not only address significant labour market shortages in Canada, it will also greatly benefit the individuals who become eligible to apply for work permits, and their families. In addition to enabling more foreign workers to gain Canadian work experience, these measures will improve the overall well-being of many TFWs already in Canada, who until now have been away from their families and lacking the support they need. By reuniting families, it is expected that the emotional, physical and financial well-being of many TFWs will significantly improve, which can have a positive impact on their work and integration into the community.

Will you be eligible to apply and need help with your application?

If you are a family member of a TFW and are interested in applying for a work permit to Canada, you might find our collaborative review service helpful, in which we work with you directly to prepare and submit your application. If you have questions, or to enquire further about how we can work with you, we would encourage you to book a consultation with one of our Canadian immigration lawyers who will be happy to help.