{"id":7424,"date":"2026-03-06T16:33:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T21:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/?post_type=ceo-notes&p=7424"},"modified":"2026-03-06T16:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T21:33:15","slug":"important-update-tfws-and-permanent-residency","status":"publish","type":"ceo-notes","link":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/ceo-note\/important-update-tfws-and-permanent-residency\/","title":{"rendered":"Important Update \u2013 TFWs and Permanent Residency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The federal government has begun to accelerate the transition of up to 33,000 temporary workers to permanent residency in 2026 and 2027. This program was announced in Budget 2025<\/a> in November, but little more had been heard about actioning the program until a media story today in the Toronto Star<\/a> which featured an interview with the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, in which she announced that the program has been \u201csoft launched.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The use of foreign labour is a challenging political issue in the face of dramatically reduced immigration levels which are largely supported by Canadians. However, as the Minister notes in the media today, she is hearing from multiple stakeholders because, in her words, \u201cthere aren\u2019t enough Canadians to fill the jobs in certain sectors.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Restaurants Canada Advocacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As members know, Restaurants Canada has been active with federal and provincial governments, pushing for solutions to the labour force needs of our industry, including targeted immigration measures. We are pleased that the media story today cites the hospitality sector as one of these sectors in need of this support, reflecting our continuing discussions with governments and in the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have been meeting with federal and provincial officials to highlight the ongoing and well-documented workforce needs of our industry, which includes targeted use of foreign labour, particularly in rural, remote and tourist regions across the country. These discussions have included a focus on better defining restaurants\u2019 labour needs, clarifying our sector\u2019s use of the TFW program, and addressing misconceptions. Here are a few highlights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n