Ottawa considers changes to reduce number of temporary foreign workers in Canada

Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault says the federal government is considering new regulations that could make fewer employers eligible to hire temporary foreign workers.

It's part of a suite of changes the minister is announcing in an effort to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada.

He says he told a group of large business associations today that the program cannot be used to circumvent hiring Canadian workers.

Boissonnault told them the government is considering new ways to restrict eligibility for the program, including looking at how long a business has operated and whether it has a history of layoffs.

He warns there will also be more rigorous oversight in areas with a high risk for fraud, and says he is considering increasing fees associated with the program.

The proposed changes come months after Boissonnault and Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada from 6.2 per cent of the population to five per cent over the next three years.