Alberta Expands Foreign Worker Program

Alberta’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) pilot project has expanded to include more occupations, effective July 16.

Alberta faces the largest labor shortage in the country and expanding the project will make it easier for employers to fill positions in high-demand occupations. Some government estimates suggest Alberta could be short as many as 100,000 workers.

Originally launched in June 2011 as a part of the Temporary Foreign Worker Annex to the Agreement for Canada-Alberta Cooperation on Immigration  , the project began as a program to allow foreign workers in the specialty occupations of steamfitters/pipefitters to work temporarily in Alberta. Special allowances of the program enabled workers to move freely between Alberta employers, bypassing traditional protocols such as authorization from Skills Development Canada.

The TFW project now includes the occupations of welder, heavy duty equipment mechanic, ironworker, millwright & industrial mechanic, carpenter and estimator.