Canada extends low-wage foreign worker permits to two years, adds early-childhood educator exemption
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it will allow low-wage temporary foreign workers to remain in the country for up to two years and will exempt early-childhood educators from hiring caps in cities with high unemployment, according to a federal announcement. The measures were announced alongside the 2026 federal budget, which kept annual immigration targets at 370,000 temporary and 380,000 permanent admissions for 2027-2029 and earmarked $151.
5 million to implement program reforms, including raising the employer cap for temporary foreign workers to 15 % of the workforce. The budget also created a one-time pathway for up to 200,000 current temporary residents to obtain permanent status.