Canada plans to bring in about 230,000 foreign workers in 2026, among them Nigerians looking for jobs, as Ottawa adjusts the rules so some employers can take on more temporary staff. That total is split between 60,000 places under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and 170,000 under the International Mobility Program, according to the 2026 immigration levels plan.
The latest shift matters most to businesses that run several small sites. Under the old approach, low-wage temporary foreign workers generally could not make up more than 10 percent of a workforce, or 20 percent in high-demand fields such as healthcare, construction and food production. An update from Employment and Social Development Canada dated 18 August 2026 now lets employers with fewer than 10 people at each work location count staff location by location when they work out that cap. Where the 10 percent rule applies, an eligible employer can take one low-wage temporary foreign worker at each such site. Where the 20 percent rule applies in those in-demand sectors, the figure rises to two workers per location. Before this, the alternative calculation usually looked at the whole company having fewer than 10 employees. Firms with many small outlets that once found it hard to use the low-wage stream may now have more room to hire.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is driven by employers. A foreign worker cannot simply file for a permit on their own. The Canadian employer must first obtain a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment from ESDC to show that no suitable Canadian citizen or permanent resident could fill the post. Only after that approval does the worker apply for the permit.
Nigerians who want to use this route need a genuine job offer from a Canadian employer willing to hire from abroad. The employer then applies for the Labour Market Impact Assessment, showing the job meets the rules and that a foreign worker is needed. If the assessment comes back positive or neutral, the employer passes on the papers the worker needs. The applicant then files for a Canadian work permit with the job and employer details, and must still meet Canada’s usual tests on qualifications, medical fitness, security and other admissibility rules.
Zoyols News notes that these openings sit inside a wider bid to fill labour gaps while keeping the process employer-led. Anyone considering a move should treat job offers with care and follow the official steps rather than informal shortcuts.
