Ottawa easing some temporary foreign worker rules, focus on early childhood educators

OTTAWA — The federal government is extending the period of time a business can employ a low-wage temporary foreign worker.

The change will mean a low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment, the document an employer needs to hire a temporary foreign worker, will have a maximum duration of two years instead of one.

The government says restrictions on applications to hire temporary foreign workers in cities with more than six per cent unemployment will remain in place.

It is also adding early childhood educators to the list of professions exempted from those restrictions, a list which also includes health care, construction and food processing.