IRCC Policy Update — May 30, 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026
The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets new temporary resident arrival targets at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028, committing to reduce Canada's temporary population to below 5% of total population by end of 2027.
Eight immigration changes took effect March 31–April 1, 2026, including increased passport fees (adult 10-year passport now $163.50), a new 30-day passport processing guarantee, and flexible income requirements for PGP Super Visa sponsorships.
IRCC's 2026–27 Departmental Plan confirms structural changes including a transfer of employer compliance inspections from IRCC to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), a review of arranged employment CRS points, and significant departmental budget cuts.
What You Should Do
- If you are applying for a Canadian passport, note the new fee of $163.50 for an adult 10-year passport (from within Canada) effective March 31, 2026, and the new 30-day processing guarantee effective April 1, 2026 — apply at canada.ca/passport.
- If you are an employer who sponsors temporary foreign workers, prepare for compliance inspections to transition to ESDC — review current employer compliance obligations at canada.ca/employer-compliance and document all hiring practices now, ahead of the ESDC transition.
- If your Express Entry profile includes arranged employment points, monitor IRCC's announced review of how these points are calculated — check canada.ca/express-entry for updates, as a change could affect your CRS score.
Sources
Topics Covered
2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan: The 2026–2028 Levels Plan caps new temporary resident arrivals at 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028, with a goal to reduce the temporary resident share of Canada's population to below 5% by end of 2027. The plan also raises IMP targets while cutting TFWP targets.
Service Fee Adjustments: Effective March 31, 2026, Canadian passport fees increased for the first time since 2013 — adult 10-year passports now cost $163.50 (up from $160) — with a corresponding new 30-day processing guarantee taking effect April 1, 2026.
More IRCC Policy Updates
IRCC Policy Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — June 4, 2026
Jun 4, 2026
IRCC Policy Update — June 1, 2026
Jun 1, 2026
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