Work Permits Update — April 16, 2026
Thursday, April 16, 2026
Under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan, IRCC raised the LMIA-exempt work permit (International Mobility Program) target to 170,000 — a 32% increase from the prior plan's 128,700 — while cutting LMIA-based (Temporary Foreign Worker Program) targets by approximately 27% from 82,000 to 60,000.
Effective April 1, 2026, LMIA applicants under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program face stricter recruitment rules: job ads must run for at least 8 consecutive weeks, be posted within the 3 months before applying, and at least one active recruitment effort must continue until a decision is made, with mandatory outreach to youth and underrepresented groups.
Also effective April 1, 2026, new rules make it easier for employers in small towns and rural areas to hire foreign workers through LMIA, though specific details were not fully described in available sources.
What You Should Do
- If you are an employer planning to hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, ensure your job advertisements have been posted for at least 8 consecutive weeks, within the 3 months before your LMIA application, and that at least one recruitment channel remains active until a decision is issued — non-compliance with these April 1, 2026 rules can result in application rejection.
- If you are a foreign worker or employer exploring LMIA-exempt pathways (e.g., intra-company transfers, CUSMA/CETA, post-graduation work permit holders), check the updated IMP categories at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/work-without-permit.html — the 2026 target for LMIA-exempt permits has increased to 170,000.
- Employers in rural or small-town Canada should review the new April 1, 2026 LMIA rule changes specific to their region at canada.ca or through Service Canada to determine if they qualify for the easier rural hiring pathway.
Sources
Topics Covered
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The 2026–2028 Levels Plan sets IMP targets at 170,000 and TFWP targets at 60,000 for temporary workers, reflecting a deliberate rebalancing of Canada's temporary workforce pathways.
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan increases the LMIA-exempt IMP target to 170,000 (up 32% from the prior plan), while simultaneously reducing LMIA-based TFWP targets by 27% to 60,000, signaling a clear policy shift toward faster, paperwork-lighter hiring pathways.
How these topics connect
Employers and workers should recognize that the shift toward LMIA-exempt permits is a top-down federal strategy embedded in the Levels Plan, meaning it is unlikely to reverse in the near term and signals where hiring flexibility will grow.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — July 23, 2026
Jul 23, 2026
Work Permits Update — July 20, 2026
Jul 20, 2026
Work Permits Update — July 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
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