Updates to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program could streamline the processes used by fleets that regularly use it to source employees – as long as they can prove they meet high standards for working and living conditions, protections, and wages.

While further details are expected in the coming year, the 2022 federal budget committed $29 million over three years to create a Trusted Employer Model that reduces related red tape.

Under the TFW program, foreign nationals can come to Canada on a temporary basis to fill jobs that employers otherwise can’t fill. In some cases, this has included longhaul truck drivers.

Based on 2016 Census data, the Conference Board of Canada estimates that an annual average of 1,516 non-permanent residents worked as truck drivers between 2015 and 2018. This includes drivers working under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and others who hold non-resident work permits.

In a pre-budget submission, CTA supported the idea of a recognized employer program, a streamlined application process, and a seamless path to permanent residency for TFWs who work in trucking.