Canada raises temporary foreign worker cap to 15% and extends permits
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced reforms to the Temporary Foreign Worker program, allowing eligible employers to staff up to 15% of their workforce with temporary foreign workers and to keep those workers for up to two years, with $151. 5 million allocated for implementation, according to The Globe and Mail. The reforms were part of the 2026 federal budget, which set immigration targets for 2027-2029 at 370,000 temporary and 380,000 permanent admissions and kept overall intake levels unchanged.
The budget also created a one-time pathway for up to 200,000 current temporary residents to obtain permanent residency by the end of 2027. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre raised concerns about the country's capacity to absorb the newcomers, as reported by CBC.
