As of last October, Alberta had more than 161,000 temporary work-permit holders, according to Statistics Canada. By comparison, about 43,500 temporary workers lived in the province at the beginning of 2022.Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press
The Alberta government plans to regulate employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers and give itself more control over which employees are welcomed into the province – Premier Danielle Smith’s first move toward asserting greater autonomy on immigration.
Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Minister Joseph Schow introduced legislation Wednesday that would establish a registry for employers who wish to access the federal Temporary Foreign Worker program and would require immigration consultants to be licensed by the province.
It would also establish a system of offences and penalties for employers, foreign-worker recruiters and immigration consultants who break provincial rules that will be developed over the next year. The federal government currently oversees all aspects of the TFW program in Alberta.
The program is a key immigration stream that allows employers to hire mostly low-wage foreign workers on a short-term basis in regions and sectors where the government determines there’s a shortage of domestic labour.
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Mr. Schow said details around Alberta’s regulations are limited right now but would be developed over the next year. Alberta would join British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Nova Scotia to have a formal role in regulating employers who hire TFWs.
“Immigration needs to be done properly, and what we have seen from the federal government is that they are incapable or simply choosing not to do that,” Mr. Schow said at a news conference.
The bill is the governing United Conservative Party’s first foray into expanding provincial control over immigration since Ms. Smith in February announced a referendum, where Alberta residents will vote on wresting more control over matters that have primarily been federal jurisdiction. The referendum, scheduled for Oct. 19, will have questions on a number of constitutional issues and may also include a vote on provincial independence.
The Premier has partly blamed her government’s successive deficits and budgetary struggles on unfettered immigration but has provided little evidence to back up her assertions that newcomers are costing the province billions on education and health care. The referendum questions about immigration focus on limiting public services for non-permanent residents.
On Wednesday, Mr. Schow described an “unmanageable influx” of TFWs arriving in Alberta through Ottawa’s program.
Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Canada did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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In recent years, provinces including Alberta have lamented the expansion of the TFW program and requested greater allocations under Ottawa’s separate provincial nominee program, which allows provinces to choose candidates with specific experience needed for their local economies.
The TFW program has been dogged by allegations of worker abuse for decades. A 2025 Globe and Mail analysis found that the federal government had failed to collect almost 40 per cent of the fines levied on employers for violating the rules of the program.
Mr. Schow said at the news conference that Alberta’s bill would aim to protect workers and would help address unemployment in the province, which currently sits at a rate of 6.3 per cent, according to Statistics Canada. He said jobs that would have previously gone to Albertans are being filled by TFWs.
Currently, employers are required to submit a labour market impact assessment to the federal government when they apply to hire a TFW. Alberta’s legislation would require employers to submit a similar report to the province so it can assess whether the request is “legitimate or not,” Mr. Schow said.
“What we have seen to date is a system that bypasses Canadian youth for jobs and chooses to hire foreign nationals for entry-level positions, and our government wants to know why,” Mr. Schow told reporters.
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Asked whether the bill was designed to limit the number of TFWs entering Alberta, Mr. Schow said: “No, absolutely not.” He said it’s too early to say whether Alberta’s regulations will be stricter than other provinces.
As of last October, Alberta had more than 161,000 temporary work-permit holders, according to Statistics Canada. By comparison, about 43,500 temporary workers lived in the province at the beginning of 2022.
Lizette Tejada, the Alberta NDP’s immigration critic, endorsed aspects of the bill that address exploitative practices but said other areas “encroach on federal jurisdiction.”
“Given the divisive rhetoric that is already being used in relation to immigrants by this UCP government, we are concerned about them taking more control and the further impacts that this may have on newcomers to Alberta,” wrote Ms. Tejada in a Wednesday statement.
Alberta’s bill was tabled on the same day as Ottawa officially expanded its TFW program for rural employers. Last week, the province said it was still assessing whether it would participate in the program. Mr. Schow’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment asking if Alberta is participating.
When asked why the government appeared to be pre-empting the fall referendum by introducing the new law now, Mr. Schow said the proposed changes are immediately necessary.
“This is not undermining, but this is actually augmenting the referendum, and this is taking initial steps. Whether we have a referendum or not, we should be doing this,” he said.