British Columbia & New Brunswick expand work permit access, i.e., British Columbia and New Brunswick have decided to take part in a temporary federal policy that gives rural employers more flexibility to hire low-wage foreign workers. These changes are part of Canada’s broader effort to address labour shortages in less populated areas.

With this decision, both provinces join Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Quebec, which had already confirmed their participation earlier this month. Some other provinces are still reviewing the policy, while a few have chosen not to take part.

What Are The New Measures?

The federal government introduced these temporary rules under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The measures will be in place from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027.

Under these changes, eligible rural employers in participating provinces can:

  • Retain their current share of low-wage jobs filled by temporary foreign workers, even if it is higher than the usual 10% limit; and/or
  • Use a higher cap of 15% for low-wage positions, instead of the standard 10%.

In this context, “rural” refers to areas located outside Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), as defined by Statistics Canada.

Each province can choose whether to join the program and which of the two measures it wants to apply.

British Columbia and New Brunswick have each selected one of these options.

British Columbia

British Columbia will introduce one of the two measures across all sectors starting May 4, 2026.

Employers in rural areas of the province will be allowed to keep their existing proportion of low-wage temporary foreign workers, even if it is already above the usual limit.

However, the province has not adopted the increased 15% cap at this time.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick began applying its selected measure on April 23, 2026, across all sectors.

Employers in rural parts of the province can now hire up to 15% of their workforce in low-wage positions through the TFWP, instead of being limited to 10%.

At the same time, New Brunswick has not chosen the option that allows employers to retain higher existing proportions.

Not All Employers Will Qualify Automatically

Even with these changes, employers must still meet the standard requirements of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

They must show that they made genuine efforts to hire Canadian citizens or permanent residents before offering jobs to foreign workers.

These measures will only apply to Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) submitted after the new rules take effect in each province. Applications submitted before the start date will not be eligible.

It is also important to note that low-wage positions under the permanent resident dual-intent stream are not included in these changes.

Exemptions

Some industries already follow a higher cap of 20% instead of the usual 10%. These sectors will continue to operate under the same rules, regardless of the new policy.

These are:

  • NAICS 23 – Positions in construction
  • NAICS 311 – Positions in food manufacturing
  • NAICS 622 – Positions in hospitals
  • NAICS 623 – Positions in nursing and residential care facilities
  • Specific in-home caregiver positions in a private household under:
  • NOC 31301 – Registered nurse or registered psychiatric nurse
  • NOC 32101 – Licensed practical nurse
  • NOC 44100 – Home childcare providers
  • NOC 44101 – Attendant for persons with disabilities, home support worker, live-in caregiver, personal care attendant

Note: NOC stands for National Occupation Classification, a system used by the Canadian government to classify and describe jobs.

As of now, Alberta and Nunavut have decided not to participate in these temporary measures.

Palina Immigration Consultancy, a Canadian immigration leader, promises excellence and tailored pathways for your Canadian journey. Get in touch with us at Palinaimmigration.com.