Manitoba has recently joined temporary federal measures, following Nova Scotia and Quebec, to provide eligible rural employers with more flexibility in hiring and retaining temporary foreign workers.

The measures, affecting the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), were implemented on April 14, 2026, and are set to continue until March 31, 2027.

Key Changes

Effective April 14, eligible employers in rural Manitoba can now:

• Maintain their current proportion of low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers at a worksite, even if it exceeds the usual 10% cap; and
• Employ up to 15% of their workforce through low-wage TFWP positions, an increase from the standard 10% limit.

These changes apply to all sectors in all regions of Manitoba, excluding the Winnipeg Census Metropolitan Area (CMA).

For the purposes of these measures, ‘rural’ is defined as any location outside the Winnipeg CMA, as per Statistics Canada. The term ‘low-wage’ is based on the TFWP designation and refers to workers earning below the median wage in a specific province or territory.

It’s important to note that these adjustments only impact new LMIA applications submitted on or after April 14, 2026, and do not apply to low-wage positions under the permanent resident dual-intent stream.

Impact on Foreign Workers

With these changes, rural employers in Manitoba who were nearing or had reached the 10% cap now have the flexibility to retain current workers and bring in new ones.

For low-wage TFWP workers in rural Manitoba, this means their employers are under less pressure to reduce foreign worker positions at their worksites.

Additionally, the increased cap could create more opportunities for foreign workers seeking employment with rural employers in Manitoba, who were previously constrained by the 10% threshold.

However, it’s essential to understand that these modifications do not alter the core TFWP prerequisites. Employers are still required to:

• Secure a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for each position;
• Demonstrate efforts to recruit Canadian citizens and permanent residents first; and
• Adhere to all other TFWP conditions, including wages and working conditions.

Background Information

In March 2026, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) introduced these temporary measures to assist rural employers in addressing labor shortages. Provinces and territories must opt in for these measures to be applicable within their respective jurisdictions.

Manitoba is the third province to adopt these measures, following Nova Scotia and Quebec, to support rural employers and temporary foreign workers.