The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says 1.3 million temporary work permits are set to expire this year, and they are worried about what that could mean for businesses locally.

Jonathan Galgay, who handles legislative matters for the CFIB, says at the end of this month alone there will be over 300,000 permits set to expire across the nation.

From a Newfoundland and Labrador perspective, he says in 2024 there were around 5,000 permit holders here, and two-thirds of those were under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Galgay stresses that many of the jobs are being filled through the program out of necessity to fill gaps because local skilled labour isn’t available.

Galgay says a change in federal government policy has created this situation, so the onus is on them.

They are calling for Ottawa to change course. He warns that the economic fallout could be “massive.” He questions who will fill the gaps for businesses if workers under the program are taken out of the equation.