Canada targets 230,000 temporary foreign workers in 2026

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Canada plans to admit up to 230,000 foreign workers through its two major temporary work permit programs in 2026, according to the federal government’s annual immigration levels plan.

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In a post obtained from CanadaVisa’s X handle on Friday, the Canadian government expects to admit 60,000 workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and another 170,000 through the International Mobility Program (IMP) this year.

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The figures come as Canada introduces new rules that could allow some employers operating multiple small work locations to hire more low-wage temporary foreign workers.

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The post added that previously, employers were generally limited to hiring low-wage workers representing no more than 10% of their workforce through the TFWP, maintaining that the limit is 20% for certain in-demand sectors, including health care, construction and food production.

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Under the new calculation, an employer can hire one low-wage temporary foreign worker at a work location with fewer than 10 employees. Employers in the specified in-demand sectors can hire up to two workers per qualifying small location.

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Employment and Social Development Canada updated its program requirements on August 18, 2026, allowing eligible employers to use the number of employees at each individual work location when calculating their limit on low-wage temporary foreign workers.

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The change could particularly benefit businesses that operate multiple small locations. Instead of calculating the alternative cap only on the employer’s nationwide workforce, ESDC can now consider the workforce at each qualifying location.

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“For example, an employer operating several small restaurants, care facilities or construction-related locations could potentially qualify for more low-wage foreign workers than it would under a calculation based solely on its overall workforce,” the post read.

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ESDC says the workforce calculation includes full-time and part-time employees, temporary foreign workers with approved LMIAs who have not yet started working, and vacant positions for which the employer is requesting workers through an LMIA application.

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Part-time employees who work an average of fewer than 30 hours per week count as 0.5 of an employee for the calculation.

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The new measure does not remove the requirement for employers to obtain a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment before hiring or retaining workers through the TFWP.

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The LMIA process is intended to establish that no qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position.

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The federal government also maintains other restrictions on low-wage TFWP hiring. Since September 2024, low-wage LMIA applications have generally not been processed for positions in certain urban areas with unemployment above 6%.

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Employers hiring workers through the low-wage stream must also meet additional requirements, including paying the worker’s transportation costs to and from Canada, ensuring access to suitable housing and providing private health insurance where the worker is not covered by a provincial or territorial health plan.

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The majority of temporary work permits issued in Canada are provided through the International Mobility Program, which is generally exempt from the LMIA process.

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