A restaurant company in Moose Jaw has become the first to be found guilty under Saskatchewan’s foreign worker protection laws. Dyan Jeny Enterprises, trading as Guac Mexi Grill, admitted in Moose Jaw provincial court to unlawfully charging a foreign worker for employment expenses from August 2023 to February 2024. These violations were prosecuted under the former Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act as they occurred before July 1, 2024, when the Act was replaced by the Immigration Services Act.
The Ministry of Immigration and Career Training disclosed that the charges against Dyan Jeny Enterprises stemmed from an inquiry into claims that the company compelled a foreign worker to pay $12,000 to retain their job, which was crucial for their Canadian permanent residency application. As a consequence, the company was mandated to pay a $5,000 fine, a $2,000 victim surcharge, and $12,000 in restitution to the impacted employee.
The updated Immigration Services Act, effective since 2024, imposes hefty penalties of up to $750,000 for individuals and $1.25 million for corporations, with potential imprisonment of up to two years upon conviction. The ministry emphasized that the new legislation bolsters the province’s capacity to probe immigration-related transgressions and hold non-compliant employers, recruiters, and consultants responsible.
Workers who feel their rights have been infringed upon can discreetly reach out to the ministry’s compliance department via email at pcb@gov.sk.ca or by phone at 306-798-1350.