Contexte
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) includes an emphasis on compliance and enforcement. Inspections of 25% of workplaces that employ foreign nationals are subject to compliance reviews and inspections. The compliance reviews and inspections include not only employers of foreign nationals under the TFWP, but also the International Mobility Program (IMP) which includes intra-company transfers and certain free-trade agreement work permit categories (e.g., USMCA).
Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) will increase risk exposure for any workplace that employs foreign nationals. AMPs are an increasingly common regulatory compliance mechanism that permit a regulatory body to impose monetary penalties for incidences of non-compliance, often without the benefit of a proceeding.
Le régime des sanctions administratives pécuniaires
The AMP regime is designed to promote compliance with TFWP and IMP requirements. Penalties may be imposed for a range of violations, including non-compliance with record keeping requirements and failure to adhere to conditions laid out in a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) approval or offer of employment (including payment of certain wages, and to provide certain working conditions).
Lorsqu'un employeur ne se conforme pas à plusieurs conditions ou exigences du programme, chaque manquement sera traité comme une violation distincte. À ce titre, les pénalités prévues par le régime des SAP sont cumulatives, jusqu'à un maximum d'un million de dollars. Le régime de pénalités utilise un système de points pour déterminer l'ampleur de la pénalité, en tenant compte d'un certain nombre de facteurs, notamment la taille de l'employeur, les incidences antérieures de non-conformité et la mesure dans laquelle l'employeur a bénéficié de la violation. Outre les sanctions pécuniaires, les employeurs peuvent également se voir interdire l'embauche de travailleurs étrangers et voir les détails de leurs violations publiés sur un site web.
Violations may be identified during routine compliance reviews, which encompass previous LMIA applications and are generally triggered by new applications for LMIA approval or during inspections. Those inspections may be conducted on-site, without a warrant, and inspectors are granted broad powers to interview employees and compel the production of payroll records and other documents. Such inspections are already underway and the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has set an inspection target of 25% of workplaces employing foreign nationals in 2015.
After a preliminary finding is made, an employer has 30 days to respond. Employers may invoke certain justifications –such as good faith errors and administrative failure in their response. Once a final determination has been issued, an employer will not be able to apply for new LMIAs or support new work permit applications until the penalty has been paid or a payment agreement has been reached. Employers wishing to challenge a final determination by ESDC must seek leave to apply for judicial review in Federal Court.
Qui est concerné ?
Tout employeur de ressortissants étrangers est concerné. Les permis de travail fondés sur l'EIMT et ceux qui en sont exemptés, y compris les permis de travail de l'ALENA et les transferts à l'intérieur d'une entreprise, peuvent faire l'objet d'examens de conformité, d'inspections et de mesures d'exécution par l'ESDC.
Préoccupations concernant les risques liés à l'étiquetage
Inspectors who, in the course of their inspection, identify violations of other statutes and regulations, such as human rights and employment standards legislation are permitted to share these findings with the relevant regulatory authorities. Immigration inspections may be conducted without a warrant and may compel the production of any document required to ascertain compliance with program requirements. As a result, immigration inspections may expose employers to significant tag-along risk with respect to other statutes and regulations.
Les employeurs de ressortissants étrangers doivent s'assurer qu'ils se conforment non seulement aux exigences du programme et à toute condition énoncée dans les approbations d'EIDM, mais aussi à toute autre législation pertinente en matière d'emploi, de droits de l'homme et autres.