Conservative MP launches petition to end temporary foreign worker program

OTTAWA – Conservative MP Jamil Jivani has launched a petition to end the temporary foreign worker program.

The petition says the temporary foreign worker program is a “large contributor” to an unsustainable level of immigration and claims the program is taking jobs away from Canadians and suppressing wages. 

In a social media video about the petition, Jivani links immigration to doctor shortages, crowded hospitals, the housing crisis and a challenging job market.

“There’s a pretty clear consensus, even across people with different political views, that immigration levels are just unsustainably high,” Jivani said.

“Anyone who goes to a hospital can see there’s not enough beds. Anyone who goes to look for a family doctor can’t find one. You go to buy a house, there’s not enough of those. You go to find a job, there might not be one of those for you either.”

The Ontario MP said it’s reached a point in Parliament where you “can’t have a sensible conversation” about the issue.

Jivani said his petition does not include temporary workers in the agricultural sector. He suggested that seasonal agricultural workers should be under a separate program.

The Ontario MP said that youth unemployment is one reason why he’s brought forward this petition.

The unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 reached 14 per cent in April, according to Statistics Canada’s May jobs report.

Last year, the government announced plans to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers being admitted to Canada. This measure includes refusing to process applications in metropolitan areas with more than six per cent unemployment.

The government plans to admit 82,000 workers annually under the temporary foreign worker program from 2025 to 2027, according to its immigration levels plan.

In an emailed statement, Employment Minister Patty Hajdu needled Jivani over not being named one of the Conservative caucus critics in the House of Commons.

“I know MP Jivani wasn’t included in Andrew Scheer’s shadow cabinet,” she wrote, referring to the Conservative MP who is leading the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, “but he may want to ask that the party resume briefing him, because if they had, he’d know that in the last year alone, we considerably scaled back the TFW program to reflect local labour needs.”

Hajdu added the government is consulting with labour and industry groups about future changes to the program and said it “in no way” replaces Canadian talent.

The minister said the program is “vital” to the agricultural sector and tourism industry.

Jivani appears to be acting alone with his petition, since he does not hold one of the Conservative critic positions.

Alberta MPs Michelle Rempel Garner and Garnett Genuis are the immigration and employment critics, respectively.

The Conservatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.