IRCC Policy Update — June 8, 2026
Monday, June 8, 2026
The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan reduces temporary resident arrival targets while stabilizing permanent resident admissions, with economic immigration set to account for 64% of all admissions in 2027 and 2028 — the highest proportion in decades.
Eight immigration changes took effect April 1, 2026, including increased Canadian passport fees (adults: $163.50 for 10-year passports) and a new '30 days or free' passport processing guarantee for applications processed within 30 business days.
IRCC's 2025–2026 Departmental Plan committed to making the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP) permanent and launching a new agricultural/fish processing work permit stream, though the EMPP has since been listed as 'Closed' on the IRCC website.
What You Should Do
- If you are applying for a Canadian passport, note the new fee: $163.50 for a 10-year adult passport (up from $160) and $122.50 for a 5-year passport, effective March 31, 2026. Submit at a passport office or online at canada.ca/passport.
- If your passport application takes more than 30 business days to process (new guarantee effective April 1, 2026), you are entitled to a full refund of your passport fee. Track your application status at canada.ca/passport-status and file a refund request if the deadline is missed.
- Review the full 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan supplementary information at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels/supplementary-immigration-levels-2026-2028.html to understand how admission targets for your specific program may have changed.
- If you were planning to apply under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), note it is now listed as 'Closed' on canada.ca/live-in-canada-permanently. Consult an RCIC about alternative pathways such as Express Entry or PNP streams.
Sources
Topics Covered
Service Fee Adjustments: Canadian passport fees increased on March 31, 2026, for the first time since 2013: a 10-year adult passport now costs $163.50. A new 30-business-day processing guarantee with automatic refund for delays also took effect April 1, 2026.
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The 2026–2028 plan reduces temporary resident arrivals, stabilizes PR admissions, raises economic immigration to 64% of all admissions by 2027–2028, and sharply increases PNP targets to 91,500.
More IRCC Policy Updates
IRCC Policy Update — June 11, 2026
Jun 11, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
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