N.S. restaurant owners feel immigration policy crunch

A restaurant owner in downtown Halifax says changing immigration policy means longer days managing his business because of the difficulty he has finding staff.

Six years ago, Jason Zhu and his wife, Eva Yeng, started their Asian fusion business with a fast-food model on Duke Street. Since last September, it’s been a sit-down establishment on Barrington Street called the Lotus Kitchen and Bar. It now seats up to 65 customers.

Ottawa is allowing entry into Canada for 385,000 temporary residents in 2026, down about 47 per cent from 2025. 

According to Zhu, he’s no longer trying to find suitable candidates from another country because he fears their applications would be rejected by immigration officials.

Zhu said he’s willing to hire foreign workers with expiring permits. But even with an expanded team, he still expects to work from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., six days a week. 

Zhu said he and Yeng often serve customers, manage seating, and bus tables. Often, Zhu is in the back helping make meals. 

“I have no choice because I can’t hire the experienced chef from another country,” Zhu said. 

The workflow can take time to get used to. Zhu said he expects he’ll be caught in a cycle of training and retraining, since some workers will eventually be forced to leave Canada. 

Since 2025, Nova Scotia has prioritized permanent residency applications for temporary foreign workers in health care, social assistance and construction. According to multiple restaurant  owners in the HRM, the province has told them not to expect their employees to achieve permanent residency.

“It’s painful … we feel so sorry to see them go,” Zhu said. 

Zhu said he is resolved to hire more Canadians even if they don’t have strong familiarity with Asian cuisine. Recently, the pair hired two local servers.

But Zhu said there will still be long hours in the restaurant for training purposes.

“We’re exhausted, we don’t know how much more we can take physically.” Zhu said the busy season from April to November will further drain them.

Natasha Chestnut, president of the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia, said a lack of skilled staffing has many restaurants worried this tourist season. “You can be excited and concerned at the same time, right?” 

In a statement, the province recognized the challenge of “finding and keeping workers,” and said it’s trying to “better connect workers with employers.” 

Zhu said the effort he and Yeng are putting in is worthwhile, and they’ll go as long as they physically can. “We just love this industry, we just love to bring diverse dining culture to the local community.” 

Can’t hire Canadians. Can’t keep foreign workers

The Italian Market, which includes a dining area, is in Halifax’s north end. Owner Juliette Marks said hiring locals isn’t always an option, especially during tourist season.

“They all want to work downtown. It’s fun and exciting on the waterfront, then there’s the rest of us,” she said.

The work permit for Marks’s lead server expires in August. Marks said without his expertise in the dining room, she may have to move to takeout only. 

Marks is applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment, which would likely enable her lead server to extend his permit if the province found there’s no Canadian to fill his position. But as of April 1, employers must advertise the position to locals for eight weeks instead of four. 

According to Marks, the four- to five-month application process and the extended advertising period may mean his permit doesn’t get renewed in time.

“I’m getting so tired of this,” she said. “I can’t keep fighting this fight.”

Marks said she’d like to retire, but before she hands the business over to her 23-year-old son, she’d like to make sure he has consistent staffing.

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