A restaurant company based in Moose Jaw has become the first to be found guilty under Saskatchewan’s foreign worker protection laws, which have recently been strengthened with harsher penalties. 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, as announced by the Ministry of Immigration and Career Training.
The violations occurred before July 1, 2024, falling under the previous Foreign Worker Recruitment and Immigration Services Act, which has since been replaced by the Immigration Services Act. The updated legislation has bolstered the province’s oversight and enforcement mechanisms, the ministry disclosed.
The charges against Dyan Jeny Enterprises stemmed from an inquiry by the ministry following allegations that the company required a foreign worker to pay $12,000 to retain their job, crucial for their Canadian permanent residency aspirations.
In response to the case, the company was directed by the court to pay a $5,000 fine, a $2,000 victim fine surcharge, and provide $12,000 in restitution to the affected worker. The reformed Immigration Services Act, effective in 2024, imposes penalties of up to $750,000 for individuals and $1.25 million for corporations, with the possibility of a two-year imprisonment upon conviction.
The ministry emphasized that under the ISA, Saskatchewan now possesses expanded powers to probe immigration-related wrongdoing and hold non-compliant employers, recruiters, and consultants responsible. Workers who suspect their rights have been infringed upon can discreetly reach out to the ministry’s compliance branch via email at pcb@gov.sk.ca or by phone at 306-798-1350.