VICTORIA, B.C. – The government of British Columbia is reminding foreign worker recruiters that Oct. 1, 2019 is the deadline to become licensed under the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act.
The act, introduced in 2018, requires foreign-worker recruiters to be licensed in B.C. even if their main operations are located outside of the province. The license applies to an individual recruiter rather than a company or business, and while there is no fee for the license recruiters must submit a security bond of $20,000 held in trust.
“Government is committed to better protect vulnerable workers, while ensuring B.C. remains a competitive jurisdiction for businesses that rely on temporary foreign workers. The new license requirement helps level the playing field for these businesses by eliminating unfair and abusive recruiting practices. Improving fairness for all people working in the province is a shared priority between government and the BC Green Party caucus and is part of the Confidence and Supply Agreement,” a government of B.C. statement said.
Recruiters operating without a license or who are found to contravene the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act could face penalties of up to $50,000, could be imprisoned for up to one year or both.
Information about recruiters who have received a valid license is publicly available online in a searchable registry designed to let employers and foreign nationals know which recruiters are licensed and in good standing.
Further information about the foreign worker program is available here.
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