Maple News: Canada Expands Rural Work Permits to Address Regional Labor Shortages

Maple News reports that the federal government announced on March 13 that Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will introduce temporary measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) to help rural employers meet labour-market needs.
From April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027, rural employers will be able to maintain their current number of low-wage temporary foreign workers and may hire low-wage workers for up to 15% of their workforce, up from the previous cap of 10%.
The measure applies only to rural employers in provinces and territories that choose to participate; as of now, the specific jurisdictions that will participate have not been disclosed.
Previously, low-wage TFWs were limited to 10% of an employer’s total workforce. The August 2024 policy change restricted LMIA processing in some cities to curb over-reliance on the TFWP. The March 2026 changes are intended to help rural communities address persistent labour shortages and reflect closer coordination with provinces and territories to align immigration objectives with local workforce needs.
Canada also maintains a quarterly moratorium on processing low-wage TFW work permits in regions with unemployment above 6%; the list of affected regions is updated every quarter.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program operates in two streams—high-wage and low-wage. A position is considered low-wage if the offered wage falls below the applicable provincial or territorial threshold. Wage thresholds vary by jurisdiction; examples include: Alberta 36.00 CAD; British Columbia 36.60 CAD; Manitoba 30.16 CAD; New Brunswick 30.00 CAD; Newfoundland and Labrador 32.40 CAD; Northwest Territories 48.00 CAD; Nova Scotia 30.00 CAD; Nunavut 42.00 CAD; Ontario 36.00 CAD; Prince Edward Island 30.00 CAD; Quebec 34.62 CAD; Saskatchewan 33.60 CAD; Yukon 44.40 CAD.
To hire foreign workers, employers must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from ESDC, which evaluates whether hiring a foreign national will have a positive, neutral, or negative impact on Canada’s workforce and economy. Maple News will continue to monitor developments on this policy as more provinces decide on participation.