Changes to temporary foreign worker program raise concerns for Sask. residents, employers

A woman living in Regina says she's worried changes the federal government announced Monday to the temporary foreign worker program may affect her ability to stay here.

"I was 18 when I came here, and now I'm 23," said Gurnoor Kaur, who moved to Canada from India in 2019 as an international student.

"Spending five years in a country and moving back is really difficult because you've already learned a lot of things about the new country."

Kaur said she was first counting on being able to stay through a Saskatchewan pilot program that aimed to match skilled international workers with vacancies in high-demand occupations.

But when that immigration pathway was abruptly ended in March, she had hoped the temporary foreign worker program would give her a way to stay in Canada.

On Monday, however, the federal government announced it will reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada — a move Kaur, and others in Saskatchewan, say could affect them.

Kaur said the announcement has her scrambling as she's working to repay her student debt, while also sending part of her income back home to her family.

Kaur studied to be an early childhood educator in Canada.

"For five years, whatever my personality has developed, it's according to Canada. If I go back to India now, it's going to be difficult to settle down," she said.

The temporary foreign worker program is intended to help employers fill short-term staffing shortages with foreign workers when no Canadians or permanent residents are available for that position, according to the federal government.

In announcing the changes to the temporary foreign worker program Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadian businesses need to "invest in training and technology, not increasing their reliance on low-cost foreign labour."

Saskatchewan Immigration Minister Jeremy Harrison said the province supports the use of temporary workers as a last resort for employers.

"Any measures that are going to strengthen that program integrity framework are positive and we will continue to encourage the federal government to take that very seriously," Harrison said.

Saskatchewan accepts roughly 2,000 temporary foreign workers every year, including both high-wage and low-wage workers, he said.