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4d ago

Eby Renews Push to Overhaul or End Temporary Foreign Worker Program as B.C. Approvals Drop

Federal figures show B.C. approvals fell about 37% in the first quarter after Ottawa tightened access.

File photo: B.C. Premier David Eby listens to a question during a news conference at Clayton Heights Secondary School in Surrey on September 4, 2025.

Overview

  • At a Burnaby Board of Trade event on Tuesday, Premier David Eby cited a Vancouver Starbucks location and a Richmond Boston Pizza that sought to hire managers through the program.
  • Starbucks Canada said the referenced café is owned by Sheraton at the Wall Centre, and the Richmond Boston Pizza did not respond to requests for comment.
  • Eby reiterated that the program should be shut down or significantly reformed and argued those outlets should be able to promote a British Columbian to manager.
  • Government data show about 11,000 positions were approved in B.C. in Q1 2025, a roughly 37% year-over-year decline compared with a 20.5% drop in the rest of Canada.
  • More than 51,000 positions were approved nationally in the quarter, and Eby’s stance drew criticism from former NDP minister Katrina Chen as he and Pierre Poilievre have both floated ending the program.