PEI consults on a public registry for employers of foreign workers

The rules are proposed, not yet in force

Prince Edward Island opened a public consultation on August 20 on the second phase of regulations under the Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act. The draft would generally require an employer that recruits or hires foreign nationals to obtain a registration certificate unless an exemption applies.

The province has not presented the draft as a current registration duty. Employers and workers should distinguish the consultation from rules that are already in force and watch for the final regulation and effective date after the feedback process.

What employers would have to disclose

• Business and recruitment information, including the person responsible for recruitment.
• The occupation, work location, wage, benefits and the number of foreign workers sought.
• Education and language requirements for the job.
• Recruitment efforts directed at Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
• Information needed to maintain a publicly accessible registry of registered employers.

Proposed penalties and exemptions

The draft sets administrative penalties from $500 to $3,000 depending on the contravention. A repeat contravention within three years would double the applicable amount.

Proposed exemptions include listed public post-secondary institutions, public bodies, federal departments and agencies, PEI municipalities, PEI First Nations Bands and employers recruiting foreign nationals who may work without a permit under section 186 of the federal regulations. These exemptions remain part of a consultation draft until finalized.

How to comment and what this means for applicants

PEI is accepting feedback until September 17, 2026 at labourrelations@gov.pe.ca. The consultation concerns employer registration and worker protection; it does not create a PEI Provincial Nominee Program draw, change an immigration score or open a new immigration intake.

Foreign workers should continue to confirm that recruiters and employers follow the rules already in force. If the province adopts the draft, the public registry could provide another way to verify whether a covered employer is registered.