Canada expands access to work permits in rural areas
Rural employers will be able to hire additional temporary foreign workers under new measures announced by the Canadian federal government.
According to an announcement made on March 13, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is introducing temporary measures for employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to help them meet their labour market needs in rural areas.
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As per the new measures, from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, rural employers will be able to:
- Maintain their current number of low-wage temporary foreign workers, and
- Employ low-wage temporary foreign workers for up to 15% of their workforce, up from the previous limit of 10%.
The measure will apply only to rural employers in provinces and territories that choose to participate. As of the time of writing, it has not been disclosed which provinces and territories this includes.
Prior to this change, employers were not permitted to hire more than 10% of their total workforce through the low-wage stream of the TFWP. ESDC implemented this restriction in August 2024 to prevent employers from relying too heavily on the TFWP.
The temporary change is intended to help rural communities respond to persistent labour shortages, which can be more difficult to address in smaller or less populated regions. This announcement is part of measures by the government of Canada to work with provinces and territories in Canada and align immigration objectives with local workforce needs.
It's worth noting that Canada continues to have a moratorium on the processing of low-wage TFWP work permits in regions where the unemployment rate is greater than 6%. This list of regions is updated every quarter. The latest list can be found here.
The TFWP is a popular pathway for newcomers looking to gain work experience in Canada. Employers wishing to use the program are required to submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment to ESDC to determine if hiring a foreign national will have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on Canada’s workforce and economy.
The TFWP has two main streams: high-wage and low-wage. A position is considered low-wage if the hourly wage offered is below the applicable provincial or territorial wage threshold.
| Province/Territory | New wage threshold ($ CAD) |
| Alberta | 36.00 |
| British Columbia | 36.60 |
| Manitoba | 30.16 |
| New Brunswick | 30.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 32.40 |
| Northwest Territories | 48.00 |
| Nova Scotia | 30.00 |
| Nunavut | 42.00 |
| Ontario | 36.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | 30.00 |
| Quebec | 34.62 |
| Saskatchewan | 33.60 |
| Yukon | 44.40 |
Hiring workers under the low-wage stream carries additional requirements for employers.
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