Migrant Work by Another Name explores the complexities of Canada's evolving international migration and employment policy landscape. It critically examines the shift towards “mobility” programs under the recently inaugurated International Mobility Program (IMP). This shift occurs alongside the contraction of certain streams within Canada’s long-standing Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The book investigates the implications of policy changes, influenced at once by public outcry over migrant worker exploitation and persistent demands for labour in the face of qualitative labour shortages in high-income countries like Canada. Grounded in a decolonial feminist political economy approach, Leah F. Vosko employs a mixed methods analysis to contrast the narrative of “mobility” with the persistent realities of precarity among transnational workers.
The book features in-depth case studies of the three largest IMP subprograms – Working Holiday, Post-Graduation, and Spousal Work Permit programs – revealing how these initiatives, despite being touted as promoting mobility, provide for temporary migrant work by another name and perpetuate distinct forms of precarity. This critical perspective challenges the notion of progress in contemporary migration policies, shedding light on the ongoing challenges faced by transnational workers in Canada.
List of Tables and Figures
Acronyms
Acknowledgments
1. Introduction
2. Querying the Migration/Mobility Program Policy Construct: Labour Market Insecurity under Canada’s “New” International Mobility Program
3. Cultural Exchange Precarity: Working Holiday Permitholders
4. Probationary Precarity: Post-Graduation Permit Holders
5. Relational Precarity: Spousal Permit Holders
6. Conclusion: Contesting Differential Inclusion and Precarity under Canada’s International Mobility Program
Appendix 1: List of Interviewees
Appendix 2: List of Appendix Tables
Notes
References
Index
Height:229
Width:152
Spine:25
Weight:1.00