IRCC Policy Update — October 1, 2026
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan targets 380,000 new permanent residents annually, with 385,000 new temporary resident arrivals in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028, aiming to reduce Canada's temporary population to below 5% of total population by end of 2027.
As of April 1, 2026, eight immigration changes took effect, including higher passport fees (10-year adult passport now $163.50), a new 30-business-day passport processing guarantee with automatic refunds for delays, and updated super visa income requirements for parents and grandparents sponsorship.
IRCC's 2026–27 Departmental Plan identifies sustainable migration, digital modernization, and program integrity as key priorities, with a focus on economic immigration to fill labour gaps in high-demand occupations.
What You Should Do
- If you are applying for or renewing a Canadian passport, note the new fee structure effective March 31, 2026: a 10-year adult passport from within Canada now costs $163.50. Check the full fee breakdown at canada.ca before submitting your application.
- If your passport application takes longer than 30 business days (counted from when a complete application is received), you are entitled to a full fee refund under the 'Days of Free' initiative — no action needed, the refund is automatic, but track your submission date carefully.
- If you are sponsoring a parent or grandparent via a super visa, review the updated income requirement calculation rules that took effect March 20, 2026 at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices.html to confirm your eligibility before applying.
- If you are a post-secondary international student in a co-op program, check the April 9, 2026 notice on simplified co-op work permit requirements at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices.html to see if your application process has changed.
- If you are planning a permanent residence application, note that PR fees are increasing on April 30, 2026 — submit before that date if possible, or budget for higher fees. See the March 27, 2026 notice at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices.html for details.
- If you are a temporary foreign worker or international student planning to arrive in Canada, note that new temporary resident arrival targets are 385,000 for 2026 — review how your program fits within TFWP or IMP allocations at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/corporate-initiatives/levels/supplementary-immigration-levels-2026-2028.html.
Sources
Topics Covered
Student Work Authorization Simplification: As of April 9, 2026, IRCC simplified the co-op work permit requirement for post-secondary international students, reducing administrative burden for this group.
Parents and Grandparents Program Regional Disparities: IRCC issued a July 15, 2026 notice indicating steps to 'responsibly manage' the Parents and Grandparents Program, alongside a March 20, 2026 change to how the super visa income requirement is calculated.
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: Canada has set permanent resident targets at 380,000 annually for 2026–2028, with temporary resident arrival targets of 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, explicitly aiming to bring the temporary population below 5% of total population by end of 2027.
Service Fee Adjustments: Effective March 31–April 1, 2026, Canadian passport fees increased for the first time since 2013 (10-year adult passport now $163.50), citizenship fees also rose, and PR application fees are set to increase again on April 30, 2026.
More IRCC Policy Updates
IRCC Policy Update — September 24, 2026
Sep 24, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — September 17, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — September 14, 2026
Sep 14, 2026
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