Canada Doubles Hiring Period for Low-Wage Foreign Workers to Two Years

Canada Doubles Hiring Period for Low-Wage Foreign Workers to Two Years

Canada has doubled the maximum period employers can hire low-wage temporary foreign workers, extending the validity of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) from one year to two years. Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the change on November 9, 2026, as the government seeks to address labour shortages while maintaining its position that Canadian workers should have first access to available jobs.

Ottawa will retain restrictions on hiring temporary foreign workers in cities where unemployment exceeds six per cent, but early childhood educators will join healthcare, construction and food-processing occupations on the exemption list. Proposed reforms scheduled for March 1, 2027, would allow participating provinces and territories to add or remove exempt occupations and permit employers in selected areas to increase the proportion of low-wage foreign workers in their workforce from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

The proposed changes require provincial and territorial approval, giving regional governments greater control over how the programme operates. The announcement comes as Canada’s national unemployment rate stood at 6.7 per cent in October. Meanwhile, Ottawa has made its Rural Community Immigration Program permanent, allocating 5,500 permanent residence spaces to skilled foreign workers willing to fill jobs in smaller communities.