Nova Scotia and Quebec first to ease rural work permit access under new temporary policy

Nova Scotia and Quebec are the first provinces to participate in the new temporary public policy granting rural employers the ability to retain or increase their proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers.

“Rural” in this context is defined as those areas that are outside census metropolitan areas, as determined by Statistics Canada.

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What you need to know

On April 1, Ottawa enacted a temporary policy that allows eligible employers in rural areas to:

• retain their current proportion of low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers, if it's above the 10% cap; and/or
• benefit from a 15% cap—instead of the usual 10% cap—on the proportion of temporary foreign workers in low-wage positions.

However, the government stated that these measures will apply only to rural employers in provinces and territories that choose to participate.

Nova Scotia and Quebec are the first to choose to participate. Details are below:

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia will implement both temporary measures beginning April 14, 2026, across all sectors.

Eligible rural employers in the province will be able to:

• retain their current proportion of low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers, even if above the cap; and
• use the 15% cap instead of the usual 10%.

Quebec

Quebec has implemented one of the two measures beginning April 1, 2026, across all sectors.

Eligible rural employers in the province will be able to:

• retain their current proportion of low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers at a given worksite, even if it is above the cap.

Unlike Nova Scotia, the federal page does not indicate that Quebec will adopt the increased 15% cap at this time.

Not all employers will qualify automatically

Apart from being in a rural area, employers must also meet all regular TFWP requirements to access the new flexibility.

That includes showing they made efforts to recruit Canadian citizens and permanent residents first.

The measures will only apply to LMIAs submitted during the period when the measure is in force in a participating province or territory. The temporary measure is set to continue until March 31, 2027.

The department also noted that low-wage positions under the permanent resident dual-intent stream are excluded from these temporary measures. A dual intent LMIA application usually means an employer is applying for an LMIA that can support both the foreign worker’s permanent residence application and a temporary work permit so they can work in Canada while their PR application is being processed.

Other provinces and territories still pending

For Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, the federal government says details are still to be determined.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the page will be updated as more jurisdictions respond.

Exemptions

It’s worth noting that some sectors and subsectors still have a 20% cap (as opposed to a 10% cap) on the proportion of TFWs they can hire.

These are:

• NAICS 23 – Positions in construction
• NAICS 311 – Positions in food manufacturing
• NAICS 622 – Positions in hospitals
• NAICS 623 – Positions in nursing and residential care facilities
• Specific in-home caregiver positions in a private household under:
  • NOC 31301 – Registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse
  • NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurse
  • NOC 44100 – Home childcare providers
  • NOC 44101 – Attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal care attendant

The temporary public policy does not impact caps on these sectors.

Why this matters

The change could offer relief to rural employers in sectors that rely heavily on the TFWP, particularly where ongoing labour shortages have made it difficult to fill lower-wage roles locally.

For employers, the announcement signals possible added flexibility—but only in jurisdictions that formally adopt the measures.

For foreign workers, the changes may create more hiring opportunities in some rural communities, though access will depend on employer eligibility and province-by-province rollout.

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