Employers non-compliant with TFW program are penalized

Jan 22, 2025

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is reporting that an employer in the farming sector was fined $75,000 and banned from the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program for five years for failing to provide required documentation to inspectors, being absent from a scheduled meeting with inspectors, and failing to demonstrate they were operating a legitimate business. This penalty was laid in the period spanning April 1 to September 30, 2024.

The Government of Canada monitors employer activity through a strict employer compliance regime. It has taken additional steps in recent years to combat program misuse, improve the quality and reach of inspections, and increase penalties for non-compliant employers.

Recent inspection data highlights the reach and impact of these improvements. Between April 1 and September 30, 2024, ESDC conducted 649 employer compliance inspections, of which 11 per cent were found to be non-compliant. Penalties for non-compliant employers have increased in comparison to the previous year. During this six-month period, ESDC issued $2.1 million in Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP), more than double the amount in the same period in 2023. Inspections during this time resulted in 20 employers being banned from the TFW Program, a fivefold increase from the same time span last year.

Banned employers range from a seafood product preparation and packaging operation to an employer in janitorial maintenance.

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Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.