Survey

Manitoba’s Worker Recruitment and Protection Act (WRAPA) was implemented in 2009 and was the first of its design across Canada. WRAPA regulates employment agencies, foreign worker recruiters, and businesses hiring temporary foreign workers along with temporary help agencies, child performer recruiters, and child talent agencies. It expands protections provided to foreign workers by the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (and associated regulations). 

The purpose of WRAPA is to protect vulnerable workers and combat exploitation as well as human trafficking concerns. This is done through registering businesses and licensing recruiters who employ and recruit, respectively, vulnerable workers – i.e., temporary foreign workers. It places prohibitions on employers, recruiters, and agencies regulated under WRAPA from charging temporary foreign workers prohibited fees and to maintain detailed records above and beyond what is required under The Employment Standards Code.

There are three major components to WRAPA – (1) licensing, (2) registration/permitting, and (3) fees.  While several vulnerable groups are protected through WRAPA, most enforcement cases relate to temporary foreign workers. Since its inception, there has been a significant increase in requests by businesses and related agencies to hire or provide services to temporary foreign workers. 

The legislative review and survey are focused on temporary foreign workers.

When responding to questions, the following definitions may be useful:

Temporary foreign worker refers to a person who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident but is legally permitted to work in Canada for a limited period. With respect to WRAPA, these workers are employed through the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program and are tied to specific employers.

Foreign worker recruiter refers to a person who finds or attempts to find employment for a foreign worker, or finds or attempts to find a foreign worker for an employer.