Ottawa: Due to persistent staffing shortages since the pandemic, Canada is increasingly relying on temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to fill health-care roles. Last year, the government approved the hiring of 4,336 TFWs in health care, up from just 447 in 2018. This includes a significant rise in approvals for nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates, which jumped to 2,514 in 2023 from just 16 in 2018.
Employers are also using TFWs to fill other critical positions: 612 nurses and 216 doctors were approved in 2023, compared to 65 and 72 in 2018, respectively. The program helps fill gaps when local hiring efforts fall short. For instance, the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montreal (CHUM) employs 141 nurses through the program due to local staff shortages.
Organizations like Alberta Health Services and Medicentres Canada use the TFW program as part of their recruitment strategy and as a pathway for foreign workers to gain permanent residency. Despite its benefits, some experts argue that more focus should be on retaining existing staff rather than relying heavily on foreign workers, as hiring from abroad may not be sustainable long-term.
Although the program aims to ease immediate staffing shortages, critics suggest it is not the most efficient solution and raises ethical concerns about hiring health-care workers from countries with their own shortages.