Canada targets 230,000 temporary foreign workers in 2026

The federal government's annual immigration levels plan allocates 60,000 workers to the TFWP and 170,000 to the IMP. New rules, updated by Employment and Social Development Canada on August 18, 2026, will allow some employers with multiple small work locations to hire more low-wage temporary foreign workers. Previously, employers were generally limited to hiring low-wage workers representing no more than 10% of their workforce through the TFWP, with a 20% limit for certain in-demand sectors like healthcare, construction, and food production.

Under the revised calculation, an employer can hire one low-wage temporary foreign worker at a work location with fewer than 10 employees, and up to two workers per qualifying small location in specified in-demand sectors. This change allows eligible employers to use the number of employees at each individual work location when calculating their limit on low-wage temporary foreign workers, potentially benefiting businesses with several small operations. 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.

Part-time employees working an average of fewer than 30 hours per week count as 0.5 of an employee.