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
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.
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.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — June 8, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Work Permits Update — June 4, 2026
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Work Permits Update — June 1, 2026
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