The House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration met on June 3, 2026, to study attracting and empowering global talent to strengthen Canada's economy. Witnesses included Terry Parker from the Building Trades of Alberta; Daniel Perry and Laurent Carbonneau from the Council of Canadian Innovators; Ethan Miranda as an individual; Michael Casasola and Sandra Elgersma from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and Steve Mason from the World University Service of Canada.
Terry Parker stated that the temporary foreign worker program is being abused in Alberta's construction industry, with undocumented workers and workers moving from agriculture into construction causing wage suppression, safety risks, and displacement of Canadian workers, including up to 40% unemployment among unionized affiliates. He recommended reinstating mandatory union consultation for labour market impact assessments, increasing federal and provincial audits and monitoring, and creating a universal Canadian safety standard to combat forged credentials, noting that unscrupulous contractors undercut compliant ones.
Daniel Perry and Laurent Carbonneau argued that Canada's immigration system must be fast, focused, and agile to help tech firms scale, as 70% of Canadian tech businesses cite skilled worker shortages as a major barrier. They recommended keeping the global talent stream, which represents 2.6% of all positive labour market assessments, while scrutinizing its use by foreign multinationals like Amazon, and reforming the start-up visa program with a two-stage hybrid model offering temporary residency first and a pathway to permanent residency based on business outcomes, adding that Canada should introduce a tax incentive modelled on the U.S. qualified small business stock exemption to retain talent.
Ethan Miranda, a recent software engineering graduate who spent nearly two years unemployed after applying to over 500 positions, testified that there is no shortage of talented young Canadian graduates but a lack of entry-level opportunities, and that importing senior engineers may reduce employers' incentives to hire and train junior Canadians. He asked the committee to advocate for policies that incentivize companies to hire and train junior Canadian engineers and invest in graduate upskilling programs, noting that youth unemployment has risen to 14.3% and that postings for junior tech roles have dropped 25% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Michael Casasola and Sandra Elgersma stated that the economic mobility pathways pilot has allowed over 1,300 refugees to immigrate to Canada through economic programs, with high retention rates and career progression, and that refugees can compete on a level playing field when barriers like the inability to provide a valid passport are addressed. They recommended making the EMPP a permanent program with faster processing times and significant spaces, and highlighted the need for systemic credential recognition solutions, citing the Nova Scotia Pharmacy Regulator's Jordan pharmacy licensure pathway as a successful model.
Steve Mason described the EMPP as a win-win that fills critical labour gaps while providing durable solutions for refugees, citing examples of refugee youth in tourism and hospitality in western Canada with over 90% retention after one year, and Syrian pharmacists in Nova Scotia who achieved full licensure in about three months. He recommended processing permanent residency applications within six months, streamlining the process by allocating predetermined spaces to trusted partners, making existing immigration pathways like the provincial nominee program accessible to refugees with flexibility on settlement fund requirements, and strengthening coordination across federal departments.
The committee heard questions from members, with some Conservative members pressing Parker on abuse of the temporary foreign worker program and Miranda on youth unemployment, while Liberal members focused on the global talent stream and refugee pathways. The Bloc Québécois raised questions about provincial jurisdiction over credential recognition and Quebec-specific issues. No procedural debate, motions, or votes occurred during the meeting.
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