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TOP STORY
Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called for a decisive end to the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program, declaring “it’s time for Canadian jobs for Canadian workers.”
This is a bit of a shift for Poilievre. During the April federal election, he had promised only to reduce the number of TFWs approved in Canada, and to weed out the more obvious cases of immigration fraud.
But with their “end the temporary foreign worker program” tack, the Conservatives are tapping into an obvious well of public discontent over the program. Mere hours after his call to end all temporary foreign worker permits, Poilievre was joined by the NDP premier of B.C., David Eby, who said the program had to be “cancelled or significantly reformed.”
If public sentiment is turning against the TFW system, it’s partially because of a greater awareness of the conditions under which employers are claiming they cannot find Canadians for their jobs.
Any hiring of a temporary foreign worker has to first be preceded by a “Labour Market Impact Assessment.” It’s effectively a job posting laying out the basic details of the position, and carrying the disclaimer “the employer could not find a Canadian worker for this job and applied for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire a temporary foreign worker.”
What’s made many of these LMIAs so controversial is that they often describe quite desirable jobs with minimal qualifications. There are also noticeably high numbers of them being submitted in cities with high unemployment.
Last year, a viral Reddit post featured a heat map of all the Toronto-area employers who had been approved for temporary foreign workers after claiming to find no Canadian applicants. More recently, the website JobWatchCanada has launched a searchable database of active LMIAs, complete with interactive maps and guides to which employers are the heaviest users.
As this story goes to press, there are more than 4,000 active LMIAs posted on an official Government of Canada Job Bank. Below is just a cursory sampling of the positions for which employers claim they can’t find a single qualified Canadian to apply.
Dozens of fast food gigs paying at least $30 per hour
Working in fast food is the classic minimum wage job. And as of 2025, provincial minimum wages range from $15 per hour in Alberta and Saskatchewan, to $19.75 per hour in Nunavut.
Nevertheless, there are fast food restaurants in virtually every province with active LMIAs claiming they cannot find Canadian staff even at double that rate.
A Dairy Queen in Golden, B.C., is seeking a temporary foreign worker to work as a manager at $40 per hour. A Subway in Chamberlain, Sask., reported it can’t find any Canadians to work as a “food service supervisor” at $33.60 per hour. Two Victoria, B.C., Burger Kings are seeking temporary foreign workers to work as assistant managers at $36 per hour.
Meanwhile, there are more than 80 active LMIAs for Tim Hortons. A Brampton, Ont., Tim Hortons is looking for a temporary worker to fill a $36 per hour assistant manager gig. A Tim Hortons in Courtenay, B.C., is seeking a manager, also at $36 per hour. A “food services manager” at a Kelowna, B.C., Tim Hortons advertised at $72,000 per year.
Tim Hortons was actually singled out by the Conservatives in their call to end the TFW program. A statement called the chain a “once beloved coffee shop” that has “hired an almost unimaginable number of TFWs.”
No-skill, entry-level jobs paying above-average salaries
According to recent data from Statistics Canada, Canada’s average hourly wage is $35.24. And this varies somewhat based on province. The average Nova Scotian is pulling down $30.92 per hour, while the average Albertan is paid $36.36.
So it’s notable that there are multiple LMIAs promising above-average hourly wages despite having few requirements for anything beyond a high school degree.
In June, a Calgary auto shop submitted an LMIA for a “motor vehicle mechanic helper.” The job is to essentially act as a “gofer.” The starting wage for the helper job is $36.50 per hour, the employer promises to cover relocation costs, and the “experience” category contains only the words “will train.”
A Langley, B.C., drywall contractor said it can’t find any Canadian drywall installers at $36.75 per hour. A vape shop in Lloydminster, Sask., has filed an LMIA to fill a $36.05 per hour shift supervisor job in which the educational requirement is a high school diploma.
In Woodbridge, Ont., a homeowner filed an LMIA for a $38 per hour housekeeper in which the only qualification is that the applicant has to speak English. “No degree, certificate or diploma,” is listed in the space for educational requirements, and the requirement for work experience is just “will train.”
Multiple $100,000-per-year jobs
The majority of Canadians work a job that pays them less than $100,000 per year, but a recent poll commissioned by MoneySense identified a $100,000 salary as the point when a plurality of respondents would feel they were making a “comfortable” living.
And yet, multiple LMIAs are for jobs paying at least six figures.
An Aldergrove, B.C., veterinarian is seeking a temporary foreign worker to fill its post for a $110,000 per year equine veterinarian. A public elementary school in Manitoba is seeking a temporary foreign worker to fill a teaching post paying up to $139,113.92 per year.
A Revelstoke, B.C., heli-skiing company is currently seeking a temporary foreign worker to fill their post for an “outdoor guide” paying between $450 and $575 per day, with room and board provided, as well as a dental plan. It’s obviously a seasonal job, but that rate of pay is equivalent to earning $140,000 per year.
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