Temporary Foreign Workers

Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) are an important source of labour for many industries in the agri-food sector. A Temporary foreign worker is a worker (not Canadian or a permanent resident) who are hired through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Program (SAWP), or the International Mobility Program (IMP) to fill short-term labour shortages. A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a work permit and other requirements are needed to hire a TFW through one of the programs available.

  • Highest share of TFWs for any Atlantic Province
  • Third highest share of TFWs for all Canadian provinces
  • Jamaica is the largest supplier of agricultural TFWs in NS (60%)
  • Mexico is the second largest supplier of agricultural TFWs in NS (32%)

  • Fruit tree and nut farming employed 54% of all TFWs in N.S.
  • TFWs are mainly hired for harvesting labour jobs in N.S.