Question Period Note: Tabling of Employment and Social Development Canada’s Supplementary Estimates (A) for Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2027

Why is Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requesting $20.0 million for Funding for the Migrant Worker Support Program in the Supplementary Estimates (A) for fiscal year ending March 31, 2027?

• The MWS Program supplements other supports available to temporary foreign workers by funding migrant worker support organizations to provide services tailored to the specific needs of workers and by strengthening communities in which they work and live.
• Thanks to the MWS Program, workers participate more fully in local economies and communities. Workers who feel supported and included are more likely to stay with their employers and contribute to local businesses. This integration strengthens local economic resilience and regional labour markets, helping employers in key sectors to stabilize their workforce with skilled, dedicated workers.
• A 2026 off-cycle decision from the Department of Finance earmarked in the fiscal framework $20.5 million to renew the MWS Program for 2026 to 2027 (including the Employee Benefit Plan (EBP). A total of $20.4 million (including EBP) is being requested in the Supplementary Estimates (A) (including the Employees Benefits Plan (EBP).

• Budget 2018 established, on a pilot basis, the Migrant Worker Support Network (MWSN) from existing departmental resources ($3.4 million). An assessment of the pilot in 2021 found that it was effective in increasing temporary foreign workers’ knowledge of their rights and relevant worker protections and that organizations funded under the pilot were able to support migrant workers in reporting wrongdoing.
• Building on the successes of the 2018 pilot, Budget 2021 committed $49.5 million over three years starting in 2021 to 2022 to implement the MWS Program, which funds community organizations across the country to support temporary foreign workers in learning about and exercising their rights while living and working in Canada. Budget 2024 announced $41 million to extend the Program for two years, starting in 2024 to 2025. A 2026 off-cycle decision from the Department of Finance earmarked an additional $20.5 million to further extend the Program until March 31, 2027.
• The MWS Program supplements other supports available to temporary foreign workers by supporting community-based organizations in providing services tailored to the specific needs of workers and by strengthening communities. More specifically it helps:
• Workers be better equipped to understand and exercise their rights while living and working in Canada; navigate and access government services, including healthcare; and access to language support, legal aid, and emergency assistance in at-risk situations.
• Workers participate more fully in local economies. Workers who feel supported and included are more likely to stay with employers, contribute to local businesses, and strengthen regional labour markets.
• Integrate workers into Canadian society, including learning official languages, understanding local services and norms, and feeling connected to the communities where they live and work.
• Build meaningful relationships with community groups, volunteers, and local institutions, reducing social isolation and creating a sense of belonging.
• Develop confidence in Canadian institutions, not just regarding rights, but in everyday interactions with healthcare providers, schools, financial services, and community organizations.
• Support local economic resilience, as stronger integration and retention reduce turnover, help employers stabilize their workforce, and benefit key sectors that rely on skilled, dedicated workers.
• In terms of expected outcomes, this initiative seeks to ensure that temporary foreign workers have a greater understanding of their rights and feel empowered to exercise them, if needed.
• In 2023, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program surveyed 1,674 temporary foreign workers with employer-specific work permits on their experiences living and working in Canada. Approximately 95% of those who received information from a community organization said it improved their understanding of their rights, compared with 75% of those who received information from other sources.
• The Department has contribution agreements with 10 community organizations, who in turn redistribute funding to over 100 sub-agreement holders across Canada. These organizations had over 994,000 service interactions with temporary foreign workers from 2023 to 2025.
Table: Funding for Migrant Worker Support Program
Funding (in $) and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Existing Funding
(Main Estimates 2026 27) Supplementary Estimates (A)1 Total Funding
FTE 0 16 16
Salary 0 1,565,992 1,565,992
Other operating costs 0 489,822 489,822
Total Operating (Vote 1) 0 2,055,814 2,055,814
Grants and Contributions (Vote 5) 0 17,958,728 17,958,728
Sub-Total 0 20,014,542 20,014,542
Employee benefit plans 0 422,818 422,818
Total Funding1 0 20,437,360 20,437,360
Note 1: Excludes Shared Services Canada (SSC) core information technology services ($62,640).

• The Migrant Worker Support (MWS) Program supports temporary foreign workers to learn about and exercise their rights while they are living and working in Canada.
• Since 2022, the MWS Program has provided funding to over 100 community organizations across Canada to deliver services and supports directly to temporary foreign workers.
• Between January 2023, and December 2025, funded organizations reported over 994,000 service interactions with temporary foreign workers through on-arrival airport orientation services (at Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto airports) and community-based services.