Oversight Gaps Widen as Canada Cuts Inspections Amid Surge in Temporary Foreign Workers
The number of inspections of employers hiring temporary foreign workers has plummeted over the past five years — with most conducted without inspectors ever setting foot on worksites — even as the number of migrant workers and reports of abuse have surged, according to government data obtained by the Star.
Annual inspections fell 57 per cent, from 3,365 in 2020 to 1,435 in 2024, according to Employment and Social Development Canada, the department that oversees the temporary foreign worker (TFW) program.
There are three triggers for an inspection listed by the Immigration Department: a history of non-compliance, random selection and a reason to suspect non-compliance including a received allegation or complaint.
From 2020 to the end of 2024, 77 per cent of more than 12,000 employer inspections have been “paper-based only,” meaning the vast majority of these inspections take place remotely without any on-site reviews of the workplaces where it’s suspected that violations occurred.
The declining number of inspections comes at a time when the TFW program has ballooned, undergoing a massive expansion in the last decade, amid rising allegations of abuse and penalties issued to employers violating the program. Labour experts and advocates say the combination of fewer on-site inspections and rapid growth of the program raises serious concerns about oversight, enforcement and the protection of vulnerable workers.
The number of TFW approvals has more than doubled in recent years, rising to nearly 51,000 approvals in the third quarter of 2024 alone, more than triple the 15,507 approvals from the third quarter of 2021.
The federal government issued more than $6.8 million in penalties to employers violating the rules of the temporary foreign worker program from January to September 2025, already surpassing the total from 2024’s record-setting year of fines.
“These inspection numbers are clearly not enough,” said Catherine Connelly, a professor at McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business, and an expert on the temporary foreign worker program.
While there is value in gathering documents and conducting a paper-based investigation remotely, Connelly said that “on-site evaluations are extremely necessary” to prevent and stop abuse.
In an emailed statement, Employment and Social Development Canada said it “continues to balance” paper-based and on-site inspections “to ensure it’s holding employers accountable.” Remote reviews can include document checks of payroll, hours worked, overtime and the provision of health insurance or transportation coverage.
“Paper-based inspections are never used when there are allegations regarding abuse or health and safety of the workers,” an ESDC spokesperson said. “In these cases, an onsite inspection will always take place.”
The proportion of on-site inspections has risen in the last few years.
In January, ESDC reported conducting 649 inspections between April and September last year, finding about 89 per cent of employers compliant. The inspections are a small fraction of the roughly 20,000 employers approved to hire temporary foreign workers during that period.
Employers are also often given notice before the inspection takes place, which Connelly said can give some an opportunity to hide or obscure potential violations before inspectors arrive.
Critics say the enforcement system fails to address the root cause of migrant workers’ vulnerability: closed work permits, which tie their legal status to a single employer.
They have long called for temporary foreign workers to have permanent resident status, giving them the same rights as Canadian workers and the ability to report abusive employers without fear of deportation.
There is currently no legal complaints process for migrant workers facing workplace violations, said Syed Hussan, executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
While workers can submit tips through an online form to report abuse of temporary foreign workers, Hussan said the inspections system is merely a “public relations exercise” which lacks legislative or judicial oversight and provides no way for workers to speak directly with enforcement officers or submit evidence.
The inspection numbers, Hussan said, “contradict the federal government’s claims that it is protecting migrant workers’ rights while the total number of inspections is being actively reduced.”
This article was first reported by The Star
