Work Permits Update — September 7, 2026
Monday, September 7, 2026
Effective August 18, 2026, the low-wage LMIA cap calculation changed for employers with fewer than 10 employees: the cap is now calculated per qualifying work location, meaning employers with multiple small locations can hire one (or up to two in eligible sectors) low-wage temporary foreign worker per location.
Effective August 21, 2026, IRCC extended its concurrent processing grace period from 60 to 90 days for certain in-Canada work permit applicants whose employer's LMIA is still pending — but only if the applicant's work permit expires within two weeks, a complete LMIA application was already submitted with sufficient lead time, and no LMIA decision has been issued yet.
LMIA processing times for July 2026 show high-wage stream at 88 business days, low-wage at 73 days, and permanent resident stream at 86 days — while Global Talent Stream remains fastest at 10 days.
What You Should Do
- If you are an employer with multiple locations each having fewer than 10 employees, review your low-wage LMIA cap calculations by location using the updated rules effective August 18, 2026. Confirm your qualifying locations and ensure accurate work-location information is included in your LMIA Online application at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers.html.
- If your employee's work permit is expiring within two weeks and your LMIA application is still pending (submitted August 21, 2026 or later), check whether you qualify for the extended 90-day concurrent processing grace period by reviewing IRCC's work permit requirements at canada.ca before submitting the work permit application.
- If you are an employer planning to hire through the high-wage or low-wage LMIA streams, factor in current processing times of 88 and 73 business days respectively (as of July 2026) when planning hire start dates. Check monthly updates at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/labour-market-impact-assessment-processing-times.html.
- If you are an employer submitting a new LMIA, prepare supporting documents proving your business is genuine and operating in Canada — including business licences and payroll records — as recent LMIA updates have increased scrutiny on legitimate operations.
- If you applied for permanent residence under the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway and your application is still pending, note that the open work permit application deadline has been extended to December 31, 2026. Apply via canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway/open-work-permit.html — you can apply up to 4 months before your current work permit expires.
Sources
Topics Covered
LMIA Low-Wage Advertising Reform: Effective August 18, 2026, the low-wage LMIA cap for employers with fewer than 10 employees is now calculated separately per qualifying work location rather than across the whole employer, allowing more low-wage hires across multi-location businesses.
TR-to-PR Open Work Permit Extension: The open work permit application deadline for 2021 TR-to-PR pathway applicants still awaiting a PR decision has been extended to December 31, 2026, and is available to eligible principal applicants and their family members.
More Work Permits Updates
Work Permits Update — September 3, 2026
Sep 3, 2026
Work Permits Update — August 31, 2026
Aug 31, 2026
Work Permits Update — August 27, 2026
Aug 27, 2026
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