The federal government has moved again to reduce the number of temporary foreign workers.
Effective immediately, employers will be limited to hiring 10 per cent of their workforce through the program's low-wage stream.
They will not be allowed temporary foreign workers if they are in census metropolitan areas with unemployment rates of more than six per cent.
Contracts for low-wage positions will be generally be limited to one year.
The government news release did not cite farmers and food-processing companies, such as meat packers, in its comment about exemptions, but did mention construction workers.
