The Government of Canada announced temporary measures allowing rural employers to increase the proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers they can hire from 10% to 15% of their workforce. The change is intended to help rural businesses address persistent labour shortages and will apply from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, following a request from a province or territory. At the same time, sector-specific rules will remain in place: employers in the health care,

The Government of Canada has announced the extension of temporary special measures under the Employment Insurance Work-Sharing program to help employers facing economic slowdowns avoid layoffs and retain their workforce. The flexibilities will now remain in place until March 31, 2027, giving businesses more time to stabilize while employees continue working reduced hours and receive partial Employment Insurance support for lost income. Since the program’s expansion, more tha

The Ontario Government announced a major workforce development program, backed by $228.8 million in federal funding over three years. The Canada-Ontario Workforce Tariff Response will help approximately 27,000 workers across the province retrain and upgrade their skills in response to US tariffs affecting key industries like steel, lumber, and automotive manufacturing. Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development David Piccini emphasized the government's

Canada's International Experience Canada program has introduced two new opportunities for young professionals. The Inov Contacto initiative now welcomes participants from Portugal, while Taiwan's Global Pathfinder Initiative opens doors for Taiwanese applicants. Both programs fall under the Young Professionals stream of the International Mobility Program, which promotes cultural exchange and work experience between Canada and partner countries. These bilateral arrangements s

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From February 21 to March 6, Canada invited 8,676 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of March 6, 28,404 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 645 ITAs for Australia, 20 ITAs for Austria, 70 ITAs for Belgium, 68 ITAs for Chile, 23 ITAs for Costa Rica, 7

On March 4, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the average LMIA processing time has decreased for all streams except the Global Talent and High-wage streams. Global Talent Stream - 12 business days (+1 day) Agricultural stream – 15 business days (-4 days) Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program - 10

Employers who break the rules of Canada's temporary foreign worker program now face much steeper penalties. Fines have jumped from $102,250 across 74 companies in 2018-19 to $4.8 million for 147 companies last fiscal year. McMaster University professor Catherine Connelly notes the government shifted from an educational approach to a deterrence strategy. The change comes as public scrutiny of the program intensified. Despite larger penalties, experts believe many violations s

Rodney Sidloski has been charged with six offences under Saskatchewan's immigration legislation for allegedly exploiting two foreign workers at HELP International Shelterbelt Center near Weyburn between 2022 and 2024. The charges include producing false payroll records, misrepresenting employment terms, and taking advantage of the workers' trust and lack of knowledge. These alleged violations occurred at the tree farm operation and involve breaches of the Foreign Worker Recr

On February 18, 2026, the Government of Ontario conducted new invitation draws in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW) and International Student Stream (EJO IS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the province targeted candidates working in the skilled trades-related occupations. The OINP issued 951 invitations to apply (ITAs) under the EJO FW Stream and 453 ITAs under the EJO IS Stream. In total, this year, the province issued

Over the last two weeks, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws under the International Experience Canada (IEC). From January 24 to February 6, Canada invited 14,982 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of February 6, 31,632 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 2 ITAs for Andorra, 1,029 ITAs for Australia, 82 ITAs for Austria, 159 ITAs for Belgium, 525 ITAs for Ch

Canada saw a modest decline in payroll employment in November 2025, with 26,200 fewer positions recorded than the previous month, according to new data from Statistics Canada. The decrease affected ten of the twenty sectors, particularly retail trade, manufacturing, and accommodation and food services. Despite this monthly pullback, annual figures showed marginal growth, with 48,300 more payroll positions than in November 2024. Average weekly earnings climbed to $1,317.16, m

Over the last week, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the first draws of the year for the International Experience Canada (IEC) pools. From January 1 to January 23, Canada invited 12,693 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of January 23, 35,567 candidates have registered in the pool and are awaiting the invitation. In these rounds, there were 1 ITA for Andorra, 1,304 ITAs for Australia, 83 ITAs for Austria, 370 ITAs for Belgium, 2

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced a freeze on eligible fields of study for Post-Graduation Work Permits for the remainder of 2026. International students planning to work in Canada after graduation should note that no programs will be added to or removed from the current list of eligible CIP codes this year. This decision provides stability for students already enrolled in qualifying programs, but means those in non-eligible courses will not s

New federal statistics reveal that work permit issuances under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) plummeted to just 2,615 in November 2025, marking the lowest monthly intake since early 2024. This sharp decline follows commitments from federal ministers to "rebalance" the program in response to concerns over housing shortages and wage suppression. While the program saw over 100,000 approvals annually during the post-pandemic peak of 2022–23, the government has since

On January 15, 2026, New Brunswick published the results of its recent draws using an expression of interest system to streamline immigration applications for the New Brunswick Provincial Nominee Program (NBPNP). From January 13 to January 15, 2026, the province conducted three draws and issued a total of 379 Invitations to Apply (ITAs) to qualified candidates. The new draws were conducted under the New Brunswick Express Entry Stream– Employment in New Brunswick (20 ITAs),

A new global study has ranked Ottawa as the city with the highest quality of life in North America, surpassing major hubs like New York, Toronto, and Washington, D.C. The annual index, which evaluates factors such as safety, healthcare, purchasing power, and environmental quality, placed Canada’s capital at the summit of the continental rankings for 2026. Other Canadian cities also performed strongly, reflecting the country's high standards for public infrastructure and soci

Three co-owners of Marina Dosa and Tandoori Grill in Calgary were sentenced to 90-day weekend jail terms this week after being convicted of defrauding temporary foreign workers from India. Manikandan Kasinathan, Chandramohan Marjak, and Mary Roche were found guilty of fraud over $5,000 for illegally collecting $44,000 from three immigrant employees under false pretenses. Justice Sandra Mah ordered the offenders to repay the stolen funds and serve 18 months probation. The wor

As Canada prepares for its next national census in May 2026, Statistics Canada has announced a massive hiring initiative to fill approximately 32,000 positions across the country. These roles are open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and individuals with valid work permits, providing a unique temporary employment opportunity for newcomers and residents alike. Census workers will play a critical role in gathering the demographic, social, and economic data that direct

On January 5, 2026, Saskatchewan announced an urgent change to the first application intake window for sectors subject to the 2026 caps. The opening date for these sectors has been moved to January 13, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., replacing the previously scheduled date of January 6. This update affects candidates in the Trucking, Retail Trade, and Accommodation and Food Services sectors, which now share a limited portion of the total SINP allocation. For 2026, the intake windows are

Ontario is introducing new labour mobility and free-trade rules starting January 1, 2026. These reforms will make it easier for certified professionals from other Canadian provinces to start working in Ontario without delays. More than 300 regulated occupations will benefit, helping employers fill critical shortages faster. The changes also support health-care staffing by simplifying recognition for out-of-province professionals. Under these new rules, certified professional