Quebec manufacturers want temporary foreign workers who are already in the country to stay 

July 21,2025

RED FM News Desk

Manufacturing companies in Quebec are urging the federal government to let temporary foreign workers who are already employed in the province remain and continue working in the sector. 

Last September, Ottawa reduced the proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers companies can hire from 30 per cent of their workforce to just 10 per cent and limited their contracts to a maximum of one year. 

Julie White, president of Manufacturers and Exporters of Quebec (MEQ), says these changes are unsustainable for factories, particularly in regional areas of Quebec, which are already feeling the impact. Hundreds of temporary foreign workers are leaving the province because their permits have expired and employers are unable to renew them. Some are even departing early, despite having time left on their permits, fearing their contracts won’t be extended. 

In an email to Radio-Canada, press secretary Jennifer Kozelj, speaking on behalf of Minister Hajdu, said the federal government is committed to reducing Canadian employers’ reliance on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). She emphasized that the program is meant to be an exceptional solution, used only when no qualified Canadians or permanent residents are available to fill positions. “Now is the ideal time to invest in Canadian talent,” she added. 

However, MEQ argues that domestic workers cannot fill the current labour shortage. Quebec’s manufacturing sector has around 11,000 job vacancies. The organization is calling on Ottawa to grant a special exemption that would allow temporary foreign workers already employed in the sector to remain in the province.