Quebec restaurants, immigration minister sound alarm on federal foreign worker cap

Restaurants across Quebec say they’re struggling to stay open as staff shortages worsen, a crisis they blame on federal limits to hiring low-wage temporary foreign workers.

A 10 per cent cap on temporary foreign workers per company, issued by the federal government last year, has many restaurant owners warning they could soon be forced to reduce hours or close their doors.

At Caribbean restaurant Kwizinn in Montreal’s Old Port, about 20 per cent of staff are or were temporary foreign workers. Chef Céline Diallo said those hires have brought much-needed stability, something she said is essential for any restaurant to grow.

“It has allowed us to gain stability in our business, first through training — taking the time to train people, knowing that they will stay,” she said, “and then, one thing leading to another, being able to develop them professionally.”

She said hiring workers from abroad shouldn’t be as difficult as it’s become.

“Restaurant owners would like more flexibility to be able to hire people from immigrant backgrounds,” she said. “It should be easier and more accessible, because we don’t want to end up with a labour shortage.”

That stability, however, is what many in the industry say is now at risk. Even Quebec’s Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge has spoken out, warning that Ottawa’s cap is hitting regional businesses hard. He’s calling on the federal government to renew permits for temporary foreign workers already in Quebec — but only those living outside Montreal.

Industry groups say if the shortage continues, the consequences could be severe.

“Less operating hours for some restaurants, and maybe restaurants (may) just open Fridays to Sundays because we don’t have enough labour to be open for the other days,” said Martin Vézina, vice-president of business and governmental affairs for the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ).

The ARQ on Thursday called on the Legault government to negotiate with Ottawa to raise the cap in the tourism sector from 10 per cent back to 30 per cent — the level it was before the restriction came into effect.

Vézina said that higher cap was essential to keeping businesses profitable.

“We are also asking that it’s only for the foreign workers that are on Canadian soil. We don’t want to recruit others worldwide. We just want to renew those that are in the territory,” he said.

Meanwhile, Quebec is rethinking its long-term immigration goals. Consultations are underway on new targets for 2026 to 2029, with Roberge previously suggesting a cut to as low as 25,000 permanent immigrants per year — down from 64,000 projected by the end of 2025.

Viviane Albuquerque, an immigration lawyer with Mobilitys Inc., said Quebec’s approach risks toppling off balance between business interests and political promises.

“The Quebec government is playing a very tricky game because they’re saying, ‘we want them to stay, but we don’t want more, but we want them to stay outside Montreal,’” said Albuquerque.

Back at Kwizinn, Diallo says the tighter cap — combined with possible cuts to permanent residency — could make it harder for small restaurants to keep up with demand. She adds that understaffing doesn’t just affect business; it affects the well-being of the staff who remain.

“Having a good quality of work and life means coordinating everything, which is important. So you need to be able to hire,” she said.