Newfoundland and Labrador has become the latest province to opt into the federal government's temporary public policy giving rural employers more flexibility to hire low-wage temporary foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), according to a federal webpage update on June 2. The policy, in force since April 1, 2026, will see Newfoundland and Labrador adopt both available measures across all sectors: eligible rural employers may retain their existing share of low-wage temporary foreign workers even where it already exceeds the 10% cap, and may apply a 15% cap rather than the standard 10% on the proportion of low-wage positions filled by foreign workers. The measures take effect provincially on June 11 and are expected to remain in place until March 31, 2027. Only employers located outside Statistics Canada–defined census metropolitan areas qualify, and those that fail to meet all regular TFWP requirements—including proving efforts to recruit Canadian citizens and permanent residents first—are excluded; British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec have already opted in, while Alberta and Nunavut are not participating.

The Canadian federal government has announced a temporary easing of rules for rural employers using the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. Under the new policy, eligible rural employers in participating provinces and territories will not only be allowed to maintain their current number of low-wage temporary foreign workers, but will also be able to increase the cap on these workers from 10% to 15% of their total workforce. The move is being seen as a targeted policy adjustment aimed at addressing persistent labour shortages in rural and remote communities. However, the measure will apply only in provinces and territories that choose to participate, and the federal government has not yet released a list of those jurisdictions.

On September 17, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the second-ever Express Entry draw targeting candidates in the "education" category. A total of 2,500 Invitations to Apply (ITA) were issued to candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 462. Compared to the inaugural draw for this category, this round featured a significantly lower cut-off score and a larger number of invitations, reflecting the flexibility and strategic focus of Canada's immigration policy on attracting professionals from specific fields.