Immigration Laws: The Cost Of Non-Compliance

Employers in Canada struggling to fill vacancies are turning to the international labour market to recruit and hire temporary foreign workers under various federal and provincial or territorial immigration programs. These programs have been a lifeline for industries facing chronic labour shortages. But participation in these immigration programs comes with strict compliance obligations – and consequences – that often come as a surprise to employers trying to navigate the system.

Employer compliance is not new. Canada's immigration compliance regime was first introduced in 2015. Since then, there have been several initiatives to strengthen the rights of workers and ensure employers are meeting their obligations under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). The most recent initiative has been an intensification of oversight of immigration programs with Employment and Social Development Canada