Work Permits Update — July 2, 2026
Thursday, July 2, 2026
The TR-to-PR open work permit deadline has been officially extended to December 31, 2026, allowing eligible applicants with pending 2021 PR applications to maintain status and work for any employer while waiting for a decision.
Canada's 2026-2028 immigration levels plan increases the LMIA-exempt work permit target under the International Mobility Program (IMP) to 170,000 new entrants — a 32% increase from the previous plan — while simultaneously cutting LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program quotas by approximately 27%.
New rules for reciprocal employment work permits have been introduced under the LMIA-exempt category, and stricter eligibility verification (job offer authenticity, employer background checks, financial stability) is being applied to work permit applicants generally.
What You Should Do
- If you submitted a PR application in 2021 under the TR-to-PR pathway and it is still pending, verify your eligibility for the open work permit extension at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway/open-work-permit.html — you must apply before December 31, 2026.
- If you are an employer currently relying on LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program permits, review whether your hiring needs can be shifted to an LMIA-exempt IMP category (e.g., intra-company transferees, free trade agreement workers, provincial nominees) given the ~27% quota reduction on LMIA-based permits.
- If you are a foreign worker applying for any work permit in 2026, prepare supporting documents for enhanced scrutiny: proof of job offer authenticity, employer background information, financial stability evidence, and previous work experience records before submitting your application on the IRCC portal at ircc.canada.ca.
Sources
Topics Covered
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The new 2026-2028 levels plan reflects a deliberate rebalancing of temporary work permit streams, boosting LMIA-exempt IMP targets while reducing LMIA-dependent Temporary Foreign Worker Program allocations.
TR-to-PR Open Work Permit Extension: IRCC has officially extended the open work permit application deadline for eligible TR-to-PR pathway applicants to December 31, 2026, allowing them to work for any employer while their PR application is processed.
LMIA-Exempt Work Permit Expansion: Canada's 2026-2028 immigration levels plan sets an IMP target of 170,000 LMIA-exempt work permit holders — a 32% increase — while cutting LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program quotas by approximately 27%.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — July 16, 2026
Jul 16, 2026
Work Permits Update — July 13, 2026
Jul 13, 2026
Work Permits Update — July 9, 2026
Jul 9, 2026
Get immigration updates in your inbox
Weekly analysis. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.