Immigration Oversight Act will create additional hiring barriers for Alberta restaurants
Vancouver, April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Immigration Oversight Act introduced by the Alberta government yesterday will create more barriers for access to critically needed labour at a time when restaurants are already struggling with labour shortages.
“The preference is always to hire Albertans, but in some regions, there are just not enough workers available, or they don’t have the right training and skills,” said Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada. “You can’t operate a kitchen without a trained chef or maintain a 24/7 rest stop if no one is willing to work overnight.”
Restaurants in Alberta are a $16B industry, accounting for 3.3% of the province’s GDP. They employ 155,000 Albertans, including 63,000 youth, who represent more than 40% of foodservice workers. Over the last year, youth employment in Alberta’s restaurant sector grew by 4.7%. But young workers often have limited availability due to school and other commitments and are concentrated in urban areas close to higher education institutions.
Restaurants that can’t find workers locally often have no other option but to resort to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program. Recruiting TFWs is already a long, costly and complex process and the proposed legislation adds unnecessary and costly red tape for small businesses. Businesses must prove they are unable to recruit locally, at the prevailing market wage, before they can apply for the program and TFW wages are set by the federal government.
TFWs make up just 3% of the foodservice workforce but they are critical, particularly for skilled roles like chefs and cooks, for overnight shifts and in rural regions where there are not enough workers. If Alberta’s restaurant industry can’t access skilled foreign workers for these essential roles, they may have to make difficult decisions, like shortening hours of operation, cutting shifts or closing their doors entirely
“Restaurants are a great place for entry-level workers, including youth and newcomers to Canada, to gain valuable experience and foundational skills that support long-term career growth,” said Cheryl Maitland Muir, Vice President for Western Canada for Restaurants Canada. “With more than 70,000 restaurant job vacancies across the country, being able to attract and retain workers is critical to a thriving restaurant sector.”
Cracking down on fraudulent activity and ensuring the protection of workers is important in maintaining the integrity of the TFW program, the restaurant industry and the reputation of Alberta as a desirable place to live and work. However, adding additional and duplicative layers of administration to the hiring process for employers in an already challenging labour market will have negative consequences for restaurants serving communities across the province.
Restaurants Canada urges the government of Alberta to work with the restaurant industry on long-term solutions for its workforce needs, including strengthening existing Alberta initiatives such as the Youth Employment Incentive program and the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program Tourism and Hospitality Stream, and identifying new pathways to permanent residency for workers. More information on the ongoing labour shortages in foodservice and policy solutions can be found on ManyHandsWork.ca.
About Restaurants Canada
Restaurants Canada is a national, not-for-profit association advancing Canada’s diverse and dynamic foodservice industry. Restaurants are a $125 billion industry employing 1.2 million Canadians and the number one source of first-time jobs in Canada. Visit restaurantscanada.org for more information.
Cheryl Maitland Muir Restaurants Canada 604-828-6961 cmuir@restaurantscanada.org
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