Work Permits Update — May 28, 2026
Thursday, May 28, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan increases the LMIA-exempt work permit target under the International Mobility Program (IMP) to 170,000 — up approximately 32% from the previous 128,700 — while cutting LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) targets by about 27% to 60,000.
Open work permits for eligible TR-to-PR pathway applicants (who applied in 2021) have been extended until December 31, 2026, allowing holders to continue working for any employer while awaiting a PR decision.
As of January 2026, LMIA employers must download Job Bank resumes daily, and job postings are automatically suspended if no resumes are downloaded for 21 consecutive days — a new compliance requirement under intensified ESDC oversight.
What You Should Do
- If you applied for PR under the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway and are still awaiting a decision, apply for the open work permit extension before December 31, 2026, at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway/open-work-permit.html — you must reside in Canada and have submitted a qualifying PR application.
- If you are a Canadian employer with an active LMIA Job Bank posting, set up daily reminders to log in and download all received resumes — failure to do so for 21 consecutive days will automatically suspend your job posting, jeopardizing your LMIA application.
- If you are a foreign worker or employer exploring LMIA-exempt pathways (e.g., CUSMA, intra-company transfers, PGWP), review the updated 2026–2028 IMP targets and confirm your category at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/permit/temporary/work-permit.html, as LMIA-exempt permits are now prioritized.
Sources
Topics Covered
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The new levels plan restructures temporary worker admissions by significantly increasing LMIA-exempt permits to 170,000 and reducing LMIA-based permits to 60,000, totalling 230,000 new work permit holders.
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan raises IMP (LMIA-exempt) work permit targets to 170,000 while cutting TFWP (LMIA-based) targets to 60,000, reflecting a deliberate shift away from LMIA-dependent 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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