Background
New federal requirements* for employer-provided housing
Employment and Social Development Canada has proposed new regulations for temporary foreign worker housing in both new and existing foreign labour programs for agriculture and fish processing. There are 12 proposed requirements that every province must put in place by January 2027. Employers in B.C. who provide housing (including off-site) need to follow these regulations if they want to employ temporary foreign workers.
To help prepare for these new regulations, the Province wants to learn about housing conditions for temporary foreign workers in agriculture and seafood processing. See the information sheet for more detail about the proposed federal regulations:
- Information sheet – English (PDF, 1MB)
- Information sheet – Punjabi (PDF, 1MB)
*Note: these requirements are not finalized and are subject to change
New changes for seafood employers
Along with changes to housing requirements, the proposed federal program will now include seafood processing as part of the work activities. This means seafood processors will need to provide housing for their temporary foreign workers. If you’re a seafood processor, we value your feedback, whether or not you currently provide housing for your workers.
Goal of this engagement
We are asking for input from employers as well as organizations that represent temporary foreign workers. This will help us understand the following, so we can best support the transition to the new requirements:
- The current housing conditions in B.C. for temporary foreign workers in agriculture provided by employers
- The extent that B.C. employers are already meeting the new requirements
- Changes and support needed to help employers meet the new requirements