The government of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) is seeking input from residents regarding proposed regulations to fully enact the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, with a specific focus on employers who hire migrant workers. The act, which was approved in 2022, has been implemented in phases. The initial phase, targeting recruiters, was enforced in April 2025. The upcoming Phase 2 aims to establish an employer registry and impose penalties on violators.
Lucas MacArthur, the director of labour and industrial relations at P.E.I.’s Department of Workforce, Advanced Learning, and Population, highlighted that the act was designed to bridge gaps between federal immigration programs and provincial employment standards. There have been longstanding concerns nationwide about the exploitation of migrant workers by recruiters, involving issues such as unlawful fees, deceptive job offers, and visa-related misinformation.
Under Phase 1, a licensing system was introduced for foreign worker recruiters, with 10 recruiters already licensed in P.E.I. The regulations prohibit recruiters from charging recruitment fees to workers and engaging in deceptive practices like withholding official documents. Phase 2, which is currently under review, aims to create an employer registry to track foreign national hires and enforce penalties for non-compliance.
Employers will be required to disclose their use of recruiters to identify unlicensed entities. This process aims to enhance enforcement and compliance with the act without any cost to employers for registry participation. Proposed guidelines outline the necessary information for employers to provide, including business details, recruitment practices, job specifics, and benefits offered.
Feedback on the proposed regulations can be submitted via email to Labour and Industrial Relations or in person at Employment Standards Branch offices. The consultation period will remain open until September 17, following which the government will assess the submissions, make adjustments as needed, and proceed with the approval process. Once Phase 2 is fully implemented, P.E.I. will align with other Canadian regions that have similar recruiter licensing and employer registry systems.