Are TFWP work permits exceeding 2025 targets?
Well, Pierre Poilievre has raised concerns that the federal government has already gone beyond its promised “cap” for work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in 2025.
But a closer look at the data shows that this claim is misleading.
Conservative Party’s Claim
In a statement on the Conservative Party’s website, Poilievre’s team argued that Carney’s government has issued 105,000 new Temporary Foreign Worker permits in the first six months of 2025 alone. Despite a promised cap of 82,000, the Liberals are on track to issue the most TFW permits ever.
At first glance, the numbers seem to support the claim. But the 82,000 figure is not actually a strict cap. It comes from the federal government’s annual Immigration Levels Plan, which sets out intended targets for net new arrivals under the TFWP for the year. In other words, it represents the number of new foreign workers expected to enter Canada; not the total number of permits issued.
What The Numbers Actually Mean?
The 105,000 figure from Jan–June 2025, based on Open Gov data, includes all permits, i.e., new work permits, renewals, and extensions issued to foreign nationals already inside Canada.
When the numbers are filtered, only 33,722 permits were issued to new arrivals during this period. That works out to about 41% of the 82,000 target for 2025, according to Immigration Minister Lena Diab, who shared the figures on September 3.
Decline In New Worker Arrivals
Government measures introduced in early 2024 are showing results in reducing temporary resident levels.
Recent data revealed that the number of new worker arrivals dropped by 50% in 2025 compared to last year.
Between January and June 2025, Canada welcomed 125,903 fewer foreign workers than in the same period of 2024, according to official data.
This decline aligns with the government’s stated goal, announced in 2024, to reduce the proportion of temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s total population by the end of 2026.
Changes Introduced In 2024
As we know that the TFWP work permits are exceeding 2025 targets, let’s see what changes were introduced last year.
To reach its temporary resident reduction target, Ottawa introduced several changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program last year, including:
- Cutting the LMIA validity period from 12 months to six months.
- Reducing the workforce cap for TFWP workers from 30% to 20% (with some exceptions in high-demand fields such as construction and healthcare).
- Within the low-wage stream, reducing the cap from 20% to 10% and shortening the maximum employment duration from two years to one year.
- Placing a moratorium on low-wage LMIA applications in metropolitan areas with unemployment rates of 6% or higher.
- Increasing the minimum wage threshold for high-wage stream positions to 20% above the provincial/territorial median.
- Making it mandatory for job offers to be assessed, eliminating the option of using attestations from accountants or lawyers to prove business legitimacy.
What Is The Temporary Foreign Worker Program?
Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) was first launched in 1973 to allow employers to fill labour shortages with foreign nationals.
The program is jointly managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Employers who wish to hire foreign workers must first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). LMIA is a government test that shows that hiring a foreign national will not harm Canadian workers or the domestic labour market.
LMIA Streams Under The TFWP
| Stream | Description |
| Global Talent Stream | For select employers approved by the government, or those hiring for highly skilled roles on the Global Talent Occupations list. |
| Permanent Residence Stream | Supports workers applying for PR. The job offer must meet requirements for federal immigration programs. |
| High-Wage Stream | For jobs at or above the provincial/territorial median hourly wage. Starting November 8, must be 20% above median wage. |
| Low-Wage Stream | For jobs below the median wage. Processing is paused in certain regions. |
| Primary Agriculture Positions | For agricultural workers. |
| Caregiver Positions | For in-home caregivers providing full-time support for families. |
| Foreign Academic Positions | For teaching and research roles at Canadian universities and colleges. |
Employer Requirements Under TFWP
To be eligible, employers must meet strict program rules. Those with a record of non-compliance are barred from applying.
Recruitment requirements also remain central:
- Jobs must be posted for a set period.
- One posting must appear on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank.
- At least two other recruitment methods must be used, targeting Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Only after proving a genuine effort to hire locally can employers submit an LMIA application and pay the processing fee.
What’s Next For The TFWP?
Are TFWP work permits exceeding 2025 targets? Well, the answer is yes.
Prime Minister Mark Carney recently addressed Poilievre’s criticism. While acknowledging that the program is under review, he defended its role in supporting Canadian businesses.
He stressed that temporary foreign workers are not the main driver of immigration, which is shaped by a wide range of policies and programs.
Carney noted that in his discussions with businesses worldwide, particularly in Quebec but also across Canada, the top concern was tariffs, followed by access to temporary foreign workers.
This suggests no immediate plans to end the program, though reforms could still be on the table as the government balances labour shortages with its goal of reducing temporary resident numbers.
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