Job Bank and Service Canada have announced several significant modifications to the Low-wage LMIA advertisement process. These changes are primarily a response to the high unemployment rates among youth applicants who lack experience. The two principal federal changes include an extended advertising duration of at least 8 consecutive weeks, replacing the previous 4-week requirement, and a new mandatory obligation to focus on youth in recruitment efforts for low-wage LMIA applications. High-wage positions generally require at least 4 consecutive weeks of advertising within the 3 months before application.

Targeting youth is mandatory now:

Employers are required to provide a proof that they have proactively engaged with young job seekers via established channels, advertising platforms, and programs.

From the Job Bank website (changes effective April 1st, 2026): ‘You must demonstrate recruitment efforts to reach and encourage youth to apply for the job to ensure that they were provided with every opportunity to obtain employment’. This can include:

• posting on Job Bank(youth section) and youth job boards
• working with schools or colleges
• participating in youth employment programs, or
• using other platforms popular with youth

Reference: Program requirements for low-wage positions – Canada.ca

Job Bank advertisement: When placing the advertisement on the Job Bank, it is essential to choose the Youth section and we will do that on your behalf. After doing so, we can select from the following fields below (either one or all of them).

• Employer will participate in a government or community program or initiative that supports youth employment
• Employer will offer on-the-job training tailored to youth
• Employer will offer mentorship, coaching, and/or networking opportunities for youth
• Provides awareness training to employees to create a welcoming work environment for youth

It remains uncertain how positions that require several years of experience will appeal to youth, particularly new employees lacking skills or experience. However, it is evident that Service Canada aims to address youth unemployment and ensure that as many job opportunities as possible are prioritized for youth.

We are using the following website that advertises many jobs, providing links to provincial/municipal youth employment organizations, useful blogs, hiring fairs etc. We are also searching for additional possible platforms.

Youth Jobs Database – Canadian Youth Hire

If your organization collaborates with any local college or school to provide internships or employment opportunities, kindly inform us so that we can present evidence to Service Canada during the LMIA application process. We recommend advertising job openings on your websites and utilizing social media platforms along with other digital channels that are favored by young job seekers, as these can enhance traditional recruitment strategies.

Temporary measures to support rural employers:

From April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, employers located in rural areas of participating provinces and territories—specifically those outside of census metropolitan areas (CMAs)—may be eligible for temporary measures for certain low‑wage positions. “Rural” refers to areas outside CMAs, as determined by Statistics Canada.

Eligible employers may either:

• retain their current proportion of low-wage positions filled by temporary foreign workers if it’s above the cap,
• and/or benefit from a 15% cap—instead of the usual 10% cap—on the proportion of temporary foreign workers in low-wage positions

This is left to provinces to decide, this hasn’t been finalized yet and we don’t see any confirmation as of today: Temporary measures under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program – Canada.ca

We will be checking this page daily and communicating with all our clients once we see any announcements. As of right now, there is no definitive decision. 

If you wish to book a video call and consult about these changes, please let us know.