Ottawa lets eligible employers raise temporary foreign worker share to 15%

Ottawa will let eligible employers staff up to 15% of their workforce with temporary foreign workers, up from the program's 10% low-wage cap set in 2024, under reforms announced Nov. 6. Provinces and territories must request the higher limit on behalf of employers in communities with identified labour shortages. Labour Market Impact Assessments, which justify foreign hires, will stay valid for two years instead of one, and early childhood educators join the high-priority shortage list. The budget sets aside $151.5 million for the changes. Business groups lobbied for them; migrant-worker advocates say workers still lack a path to permanent residency.