Since the very beginning of this pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken a number of important steps to ensure the safe arrival of farm workers, who play a vital role in preserving Canada’s food security. To protect the health and safety of Canadian and migrant farm workers, the Government has been working with municipal, provincial and territorial governments, as well as farmers, workers and other employers who participate in the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. Despite these efforts, there have been COVID-19 outbreaks on a number of Canadian farms that have significantly impacted the health and safety of workers.

“From the very beginning of the pandemic, the health and safety of temporary foreign workers has been a top priority. Any unsafe working conditions are completely unacceptable. While we are proud of the worker protections we have in this country, we recognize that there are important issues that need to be addressed within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and we are taking action. We are working tirelessly to ensure that temporary foreign workers rights are protected in Canada.”
– The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion

“We care deeply about the well-being of all farm workers, who are helping ensure the food security of Canadians. During the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19, we want to help farmers adapt and improve the employment conditions of all their employees as well as the living environment of temporary foreign workers."
– The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

“We rely on temporary foreign workers for our food security and our planting season and we have a duty to keep them safe. We have taken prompt action to ensure that these workers can continue to arrive during the pandemic, to establish rules to keep them healthy and to make it easier for workers to switch employers to increase their job security. Clearly, there is still much to do and we will continue to strengthen and monitor these protections."
- The Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

“Managing the COVID-19 response, and in particular preventing infection in the most vulnerable populations is a responsibility shared by all orders of government, and the community at large. We are thankful to the Canadian Red Cross for their support and ability to quickly respond to this evolving situation, as well as to the agricultural community and migrant workers for their efforts to stamp out this outbreak.”
– The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

• Temporary foreign workers play a vital role in the Canadian economy with approximately 50,000 to 60,000 foreign agricultural, food and fish processing workers coming to work in Canada each year, which accounts for more than 60% of all foreign workers entering Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

• The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is the stream most commonly used by Agricultural Producers. In 2019, a total of 46,707 positions were approved under the SAWP, of which 12,858 were from the participating Caribbean countries, the rest were from Mexico.

• Most foreign workers who work on farms are located in Ontario (40%), Quebec (32%), B.C. (18%) and Nova Scotia (2.6%)

• As part of its actions to protect the health and safety of foreign workers, the Government of Canada has been working with provinces and territories, as well as a range of partners and stakeholders, to ensure employers and temporary foreign workers are aware of their obligations and respect the rules in place to help prevent the importation and spread of COVID 19 in Canada.

• On April 13, the Government of Canada announced the $50 million Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program which provides farmers and food processors up to $1,500 per worker to help pay for the costs related to meeting the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. Eligible costs could include wages, food, benefits, transportation, housing, and other requirements to comply with the protocols under the Quarantine Act. In some cases, an employer’s costs may exceed the $1,500 federal contribution per temporary foreign worker.

• The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is managed by Employment and Social Development Canada. Provinces and territories are responsible for most health, employment standards and housing requirements.

Related products

• Backgrounder: Protecting Temporary Foreign Workers and Enhancing Employer Compliance with Requirements Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Associated links

• Guidance
• Letter from Ministers to Employers
• Applicant Guide for the Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program
• Reporting abuse or misuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker program
• Keeping Canadians and workers in the food supply chain safe
• Support for Canada’s food supply system
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ashley Michnowski
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion
819-956-3239
ashley.michnowski@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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