On April 1, 2026, Alberta’s government introduced Bill 26, the Immigration Oversight Act.
If passed, Bill 26 will:
- Establish a registry for employers wishing to access the temporary foreign workforce.
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- Employers would need to register with the province prior to accessing federal programs, such as receiving a Labour Market Impact Assessment;
- Establish a licensing system for immigration consultants and foreign worker recruiters;
- Establish prohibited practices that apply to employers, foreign worker recruiters and immigration consultants;
- Establish powers to investigate contraventions of prohibitions;
- Establish a system of offences and provide administrative penalties for contravening prohibitions.
- This includes the ability to impose monetary penalties and license and registration restrictions. In severe cases, terms of imprisonment can be imposed by the courts.
The act would also establish a formal complaints process for cases where there is reason to believe an employer, foreign worker recruiter or immigration consultant has contravened the act or its regulations, as well a review process for actions taken.
Prohibited activities the act aims to address include:
- misrepresented or fraudulent employment opportunities;
- paid-for job offers and collection of unauthorized fees;
- other activities that take advantage of a foreign worker’s inexperience, fear, discomfort or lack of knowledge in the immigration system.
If passed, Bill 26 would come into force upon proclamation. Details on the registry and licensing systems and penalties for non-compliance would be developed in subsequent regulations.
Further information is available here.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.