The Classifying Work of Immigration Policies in Canada: A Critical Analysis of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program and Access to Settlement Services

In this thesis I analyse the Canadian Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) through the lens of Bowker and Star's classification theory. I connect the pervasive abuse and exploitation of temporary foreign workers in Canada to an immigration classification scheme that I argue favours particular economic interests of Canadian employers and workers over the interests of temporary foreign workers. To this end, I outline the nature of the TFWP discussing how employer-centric program intentions shape program structures. In turn, I argue that these structures shape the lives of migrants in Canada by restricting the rights, opportunities, and protections they have in Canada. To illustrate this, I discuss the use of immigration classifications to designate eligibility to receive settlement services in Canada.M.I.S