Work Permits Update — June 1, 2026
Monday, June 1, 2026
Canada's 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan increases LMIA-exempt work permit targets to 170,000 under the International Mobility Program (IMP), a 32% increase from the previous plan's 128,700 target, while LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) targets are cut from 82,000 to 60,000.
TR-to-PR pathway applicants from 2021 can now apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026, allowing them to work for any employer in any occupation while their PR application is processed.
As of January 2026, employers applying for an LMIA must download Job Bank resumes daily — if no resumes are downloaded for 21 consecutive days, the job posting is automatically suspended and the employer must restart the entire recruitment process from scratch.
What You Should Do
- If you submitted a PR application under the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway and are still awaiting a decision, apply for an open work permit at canada.ca/tr-pr-pathway before the December 31, 2026 deadline. You must be living in Canada and have received an IRCC confirmation email for your PR application to be eligible.
- If you are an employer currently running a Job Bank posting as part of an LMIA application, log in to your Job Bank employer account daily to download all received resumes. Failure to download for 21+ consecutive days will suspend your posting and force you to restart recruitment, delaying your LMIA by weeks.
- If you are a foreign worker or employer considering an LMIA-exempt route, review the International Mobility Program categories at canada.ca/international-mobility-program to see if you qualify under trade agreements (CUSMA, CETA), intra-company transfer, or PGWP — these routes are faster and have expanded targets in 2026.
Sources
Topics Covered
Student Work Authorization Simplification: IRCC is moving to ease rules around student work permits in 2026, as reported in April 2026. Open work permit extensions for TR-to-PR 2021 applicants are available until December 31, 2026.
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: The 2026–2028 Levels Plan sets the IMP target at 170,000 — a 32% increase — while cutting the TFWP (LMIA-required) target by 27% to 60,000. Canada is clearly shifting toward faster, LMIA-free pathways for foreign workers.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — June 11, 2026
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Work Permits Update — June 8, 2026
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Work Permits Update — June 4, 2026
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