Follow Us on Google
Canada is set to admit up to 230,000 temporary foreign workers in 2026 through two of its major work permit programmes, according to the federal government’s annual immigration levels plan.
The planned admissions comprise 60,000 workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and 170,000 through the International Mobility Program (IMP).
The development comes as Canada introduces adjustments to how employers calculate their limits for hiring low-wage temporary foreign workers, a move that could benefit businesses operating several small locations.
Under the updated rules, employers can now use the number of workers at individual qualifying locations when determining their hiring limits rather than relying solely on their total workforce across Canada.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the programme requirements on August 18, 2026.
Previously, employers were generally restricted to having low-wage temporary foreign workers account for no more than 10 per cent of their workforce through the TFWP. The limit is 20 per cent for some designated sectors, including healthcare, construction and food production.
Under the revised calculation, an employer operating a work location with fewer than 10 employees may be able to hire one low-wage temporary foreign worker. Employers in specified in-demand sectors could hire up to two workers at each qualifying small location.
The change could provide additional hiring flexibility for businesses with multiple small establishments, including restaurants, care facilities and construction-related operations.
ESDC said employers can potentially calculate their workforce separately for each eligible location when determining how many low-wage foreign workers they can hire.
The workforce calculation includes full-time and part-time employees, temporary foreign workers with approved Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) who have yet to begin work, as well as vacant positions for which an employer has applied for an LMIA.
Part-time workers who work an average of fewer than 30 hours weekly are counted as half an employee for the calculation.
However, the updated rules do not eliminate the requirement for employers to obtain a positive or neutral LMIA before hiring or retaining workers through the TFWP.
The assessment is designed to determine whether Canadian citizens or permanent residents are available and qualified to fill the positions.
Canada also maintains restrictions on low-wage TFWP recruitment. Since September 2024, low-wage LMIA applications have generally not been processed for jobs located in certain urban areas where unemployment is above six per cent.
Employers using the low-wage stream must also meet additional obligations, including covering workers’ transportation costs to and from Canada, providing suitable accommodation and arranging private health insurance where provincial or territorial coverage does not apply.
Meanwhile, most temporary work permits issued in Canada are granted through the International Mobility Program, which generally does not require an LMIA.
