Canada allocates $50 million for temporary foreign workers to complete self-isolation period

Shelby Thevenot
Published: April 14, 2020

Canada is providing funding so that employers who have hired foreign workers can comply with mandatory coronavirus measures for new arrivals.

The $50 million is intended to help employers meet the current health regulations to keep foreign workers safe during their two-week quarantine.

Employers and temporary foreign workers share the responsibility of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Work permit holders are still allowed to come to Canada because of their integral role in the food sector.

Get help with Canadian work permits

Like all new travellers to Canada, foreign workers must quarantine or isolate for 14 days as soon as they reach the Port of Entry. The government is strengthening that measure as of April 15. Any returning travellers who are asymptomatic, who can’t explain a credible quarantine plan, will be forced to spend the two weeks in a hotel.

Employers are expected to provide workers with transportation and accommodations as well as access to food and basic sanitation supplies.

The government will provide employers with up to $1,500 for each temporary foreign worker, to ensure public health requirements are being fully met. The funding is conditional on employers not being found in violation of the 14-day protocols or any other public health order, a government media release says. This program will be available as long as the Quarantine Act is in force and the isolation protocol is followed.

Employers and workers who do not comply could face fines, jail time or both.

Before the pandemic, the food sector was already challenged by significant labour shortages. Each year, the agricultural sector receives about 60,000 foreign workers, and yet around 15,000 jobs remain vacant.

Fruit and vegetable farms, as well as fish, seafood, and meat processing plants, are reliant on temporary foreign workers.

Foreign workers in the agricultural sector account for more than 60 per cent of all who come to Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

“Temporary foreign works have long been key to our food supply,” Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, said in a press release. “We will work with farmers and food processing employers to ensure they get the workers they need and that plans are in place to meet mandatory isolation requirements.”

Need assistance with the Temporary Work Permit application process? Contact wp@canadavisa.com.

© 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved

Share this article
Share your voice
Did you find this article helpful?
Thank you for your feedback.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Did you find this article helpful?
Please provide a response
Thank you for your helpful feedback
Please contact us if you would like to share additional feedback, have a question, or would like Canadian immigration assistance.
  • Do you need Canadian immigration assistance? Contact the Contact Cohen Immigration Law firm by completing our form
  • Send us your feedback or your non-legal assistance questions by emailing us at media@canadavisa.com
Related articles
Immigration fuels Alberta’s record-breaking population growth
A cityscape view of Downtown Calgary featuring buildings, greenery and roads.
September 2024: State of the Express Entry pool
A group of people on Toronto island, looking at the main city from across the water
AAIP eligibility change in response to Alberta wildfires
A rocky mountain in Jasper, Alberta.
Deadline extended for out-of-status construction workers in the GTA seeking pathway to permanent residency
Construction on a building in Toronto
Top Stories
Immigration fuels Alberta’s record-breaking population growth
How does Canada compare to other top immigrant destinations?
First fall in Canada? Here are some things every newcomer should know
Join our free newsletter. Get Canada's top immigration stories delivered to your inbox.
Subscribe
More in Life in Canada
First fall in Canada? Here are some things every newcomer should know
A man and a woman surrounded by fall foliage
How newcomer opinions like yours impact Canadian organizations
The Angus Reid Forum is your chance to tell Canada’s key decision-makers what you think about the important issues that impact people's everyday lives across this country
How residents of Canada can invest tax-free
Canadian coins.
Nine apps to enhance your life in Canada
Couple hiking overlooking Northern Ontario forest, looking at mobile phone.
Link copied to clipboard