Premier Danielle Smith stands with Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration Joseph Schow in Calgary on May 16, 2025.--CP FILE PHOTO
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
The Immigration Oversight Act would create a provincial registry for employers looking to hire temporary foreign workers. The changes effectively duplicate guidelines already upheld by the federal government.
Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow says Bill 26 will protect foreign workers against fraud and abuse and make sure Albertans “have the first crack at Alberta jobs.”
“My mandate from the Premier Danielle Smith is to use all legal means possible to take more control over immigration with the goal of making it more sustainable and economically focused here in Alberta,” he said at a press conference Wednesday.
If passed, the new legislation will produce a public registry of employers looking to hire foreign workers and create a provincial licensing protocol for immigration consultants and recruiters.
Eligibility criteria for employers aiming to access the temporary foreign workforce is not included in the legislation. Specifics on eligibility, any fees attached to joining the registry and the scope of penalties for non-compliance will be determined by regulation.
The federal government is responsible for regulating employers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. In order to secure authorization to hire foreign workers, most businesses must complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment that proves no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job.
Other federal guidelines require employers to pay prevailing wages and demonstrate that their business and job offer are legitimate.
The provincial bill repeats much of that process.
“Alberta knows what Alberta needs best when it comes to recruiting employees,” said Schow. “So long as we have not seen the responses we would like from the federal government on immigration, this is in dire need. I understand that some may look at this as a duplicative process, I look at this as necessary.”
Five of the government-led questions included on the ballot in this fall’s referendum are on the topic of immigration. One question asks Albertans whether they support the provincial government in taking increased control over immigration.
But Schow says this is an issue that cannot wait for the results of a referendum.
“This is not undermining, but this is actually augmenting the referendum,” the minister said.
“This is necessary here in Alberta now, and we don’t need to wait for the referendum to get feedback on whether or not we should make sure that there is a fair and transparent process for bringing workers into Alberta, and making sure we have a process that protects Alberta workers and making sure they have first crack at Alberta jobs.”
Schow denied the idea that Bill 26 is about restricting the number of temporary foreign workers coming to the province.
“This is about making sure we understand the labour market better.”
Schow says one function of the new registry will be to provide the province with more insight into the kinds of jobs that are looking to hire temporary workers, information currently gathered by the federal government.
He says the spirit of the program should be maintained to help staff notoriously under-resourced sectors like agriculture and manufacturing, which struggle to find labour locally.
“Jobs that usually would have gone to Albertans as entry level positions are now going to temporary workers. The intent of this program was never to have a temporary foreign worker at a fast food restaurant in downtown Calgary,” he said.
Other aspects of Bill 26 will outline provincial regulations regarding fraud and exploitation of foreign workers. Terms include prohibiting employers from making false statements about a job posting or from charging foreign nationals for hiring-related services employers are obligated to cover
The bill enables penalties and compliance tools that will also be determined later by regulation. The legislation allows for monetary fines determined by court referral, which can reach as high as $1 million for an individual and $1.5 million for an organization.
It also allows for licence cancellations and suspensions, as well as imprisonment for a sentence not exceeding 12 months.
The Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade will be responsible for receiving complaints and investigating contraventions of the rules outlined in this bill.
