Work Permits Update — May 21, 2026
Thursday, May 21, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan increased the International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt) target to 170,000 new entrants — a 32% increase from the prior plan's 128,700 — while cutting LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program spots from 82,000 to 60,000.
Applicants who submitted permanent residence applications in 2021 under the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident pathway can apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026, allowing them to work for any employer while awaiting a PR decision.
New Express Entry categories introduced in 2026 include Medical Doctors, Researchers, Senior Managers, Transport Occupations, and Skilled Military Recruits with Canadian work experience, all of which are LMIA-exempt pathways for eligible workers.
What You Should Do
- If you submitted a PR application in 2021 under the TR-to-PR pathway and are still awaiting a decision, apply for an open work permit before December 31, 2026 at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway/open-work-permit.html to maintain your ability to work for any employer.
- If you are a foreign worker or employer exploring LMIA-exempt options, review the updated International Mobility Program categories and targets for 2026 at canada.ca. The IMP now targets 170,000 new entrants, up from 128,700 in the previous plan.
- If you work as a medical doctor, researcher, senior manager, or in transport occupations and have Canadian work experience, check your eligibility for the new 2026 Express Entry category-based draws, which have had cutoffs as low as 429 (Senior Managers, March 5, 2026). Update your Express Entry profile at canada.ca/express-entry to reflect qualifying experience.
Sources
Topics Covered
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan raised the LMIA-exempt IMP target to 170,000 (up 32%) while cutting LMIA-based TFWP spots to 60,000 (down 27%), signaling a clear federal preference for international agreements and merit-based pathways over employer-driven labour market testing.
Category-Based Selection System: Five new Express Entry categories were introduced for 2026 — Medical Doctors, Researchers, Senior Managers, Transport Occupations, and Skilled Military Recruits — all requiring Canadian work experience. Minimum work experience for renewed categories increased from 6 months to 1 year.
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Work Permits Update — June 1, 2026
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