EXCLUSIVE: $1B in child benefits for foreign workers, international students last year
Canada Revenue Agency data shows Canadian taxpayers were billed nearly $3 billion in total by temporary workers claiming the Canada Child Benefit between 2021 to 2025.
A new written response tabled in the House of Commons has revealed that more than $1.1 billion in Canada Child Benefit (CCB) payments were issued to temporary residents in 2025, including international students and temporary foreign workers, according to data from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
The figures were provided in response to a Written Question from Conservative MP Andrew Lawton (Elgin—St. Thomas—London South), who asked the government to disclose how many temporary residents are receiving CCB payments, the total value of those payments, and what safeguards exist to ensure eligibility rules are enforced.
Over the five years, annual payments to temporary residents have nearly tripled, rising from just under $389 million in 2021 to more than $1.1 billion in 2025. The amount over the five years totals $2,955,041,000.
