HomeTag Employment and Social Development Canada

Effective April 1, 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) implemented stricter rules that dramatically affect the immigration landscape for Canadian business owners who want to hire low-wage workers (defined as those earning less than $36.60 per hour in British Columbia) through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). These new rules were implemented without warning and will increase the administrative burden on Canadian employers. The goal is to ensure employers make every effort to hire Canadian youth to fill vacant positions before seeking permission to hire a foreign worker. Here is what employers need to know.