A new national campaign launched by Tim Hortons on Monday promises changes to the chain’s hiring policies.
The iconic Canadian brand says it’s committed to hiring 10,000 new local team members and scaling back on its use of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
According to a news release from the company, restaurant owners hosted 400 local hiring events during March and April, and those will continue throughout the year.
Tim Hortons has relied on the TFWP in recent years and says the company turned to it in 2021 due to Canada’s labour shortage in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chain says it even encouraged the federal government to increase access to the TFWP, then lobbied against announced plans to limit application.
“However, today in 2026, with high youth unemployment nationally, lobbying for expanded access is no longer necessary,” the release explains. “In fact, our restaurant owners' use of the program has already declined steadily since 2024.”
Tim Hortons estimates roughly 4,000 of 110,000 team members across Canada – around 3.6% – were temporary foreign workers at the peak of the company’s reliance on the program.
“These are positions in communities where restaurant owners faced documented labour shortages and went through the full government approval process before hiring,” adds the release.
“Restaurant owners understand the need for continued rigour and scrutiny for any new temporary foreign worker applications.”
Tim Hortons says its restaurant owners do not discriminate in their hiring policies and anyone entitled to work in Canada is encouraged to apply.
This includes Canadian students, international students, people with disabilities, mature workers, Indigenous people, new Canadians and members of the local community of all ages.
According to Tim Hortons, the company is a leading employer of youth, as 45% of team members are aged 15-24.
The new national ad campaign across TV, digital, paid social and in-restaurant channels encourages all aspiring team members to apply to join a Tim Hortons restaurant this summer.
