Ontario Bans “Canadian Experience” Requirements In Job Postings, Removing A Major Barrier For Newcomers
Starting January 1, 2026, a long-criticized hiring barrier in Ontario will finally be dismantled: employers will no longer be allowed to demand “Canadian work experience” in job postings or application forms.
For many newcomers, this single requirement has been the wall standing between them and stable employment; even when they bring years of international expertise, advanced credentials, and strong professional track records. The practice has been flagged for decades as discriminatory and exclusionary, pushing skilled newcomers into survival jobs, delaying career growth, and contributing to systemic underemployment.
Under the new changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, employers with 25 or more employees must remove Canadian-experience requirements from any publicly advertised job posting. The province says this is a step toward creating a fairer playing field for internationally trained workers who have long been told, implicitly or explicitly, that their global experience "doesn’t count" unless it happened on Canadian soil.
This shift is more than a policy update; it’s a recognition of the frustration, talent loss, and inequities communities have been raising for years. Many newcomers arrive with extensive knowledge in fields like engineering, healthcare, business, arts, tech, and education, only to be filtered out before they even land an interview.
Removing this requirement means more people can finally compete based on their skills, not on where they gained them.
The change also aligns with a broader push for transparency in hiring. Employers must now include expected compensation, disclose if AI is used in screening, confirm whether a real vacancy exists, and follow up with candidates within 45 days after an interview. These measures collectively aim to reduce exploitation, improve fairness, and rebuild trust in the job-search process.
For newcomers, this update sends a clear message: your experience matters; and it should be valued here.
As Ontario continues to grow through immigration, removing systemic barriers like the “Canadian experience” rule is a necessary step toward creating a labour market that reflects both the realities and opportunities of a diverse province.
Based on reporting by Janice Rodrigues for CIC News.
Photo Credits: CIC News / Government of Ontario
