Canada plans to admit up to 230,000 foreign workers through its two major temporary work permit programs in 2026, according to the federal government’s annual immigration levels plan.
In a post obtained from CanadaVisa’s X handle on Friday, the Canadian government expects to admit 60,000 workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and another 170,000 through the International Mobility Program (IMP) this year.
The figures come as Canada introduces new rules that could allow some employers operating 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 total workforce, calculated across the entire company.
Under the new calculation, an employer can hire one low-wage temporary foreign worker at a work location with fewer than 10 employees. Employers in specified in-demand sectors can hire up to two workers per qualifying small location.
Employment and Social Development Canada updated its program requirements on August 18, 2026, allowing eligible employers to use the number of employees at each individual work location when calculating their limit on low-wage temporary foreign workers. The change could particularly benefit businesses that operate multiple small locations, instead of calculating the cap only on their entire workforce.
