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,

A recent study from HEC Montreal reveals that the route immigrants take into Canada matters more than their qualifications alone. Workers arriving with closed permits typically earn higher incomes than other groups, while foreign students show the fastest wage growth once they enter the job market. The research, which surveyed 2,500 university-educated immigrants in 2025, found that the current points-based selection system does not always identify candidates who will perfor

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has clarified how work permits will be issued to applicants under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP) in 2026. Candidates who have submitted a complete permanent residence application under either pilot and hold a valid job offer may qualify for a work permit valid for up to two years while their PR application is processed. These work permits are exempt from t

The Canadian restaurant sector is bracing for serious challenges as federal immigration restrictions threaten to worsen an already critical staffing crisis. With Ottawa slashing temporary resident admissions by 43 percent for 2026, industry leaders warn this could add another 50,000 vacant positions to the nearly 150,000 openings expected by 2027. Restaurant operators, many of whom are immigrants themselves, say the cuts not only make it harder to recruit reliable staff but

The Northwest Territories Nominee Program has officially closed the 2025 intake after receiving sufficient applications to meet its federal nomination allocation of 300 candidates. Applicants will receive email notifications regarding the status of their submissions. The program is scheduled to reopen in 2026, with further details to be announced. In the interim, employers facing workforce challenges can explore alternative pathways such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Progr

A federal initiative designed to help Canadian employers hire skilled refugees from overseas is facing serious challenges , with processing times ballooning from an initial six months to 54 months. The Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot, launched in 2018 to address labour shortages by connecting businesses with qualified refugee workers, has left more than 20 companies struggling with production cuts and lost revenue while applicants remain in precarious situations abroad. Refu

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has released a comprehensive analysis addressing widespread misconceptions about the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, representing over 100,000 small and medium-sized business owners nationwide. The report systematically refutes claims that businesses are addicted to foreign workers, that TFWs displace Canadians, suppress wages, strain public services, or facilitate worker abuse. CFIB emphasizes that temporary foreign workers

Canadian job vacancies have fallen to a seven-year low, dropping by 18,900 (-3.6%) to 505,900 in Q2 2025, following a consecutive 3.7%...

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Quebec (FCCQ) is urging the provincial government to welcome at least 106,000 new immigrants...

Canada faces a critical immigration policy crossroads as Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre calls for "hard caps" amid stalled...