Work Permits Update — October 19, 2026

What You Should Do

• -If you applied under the 2021 TR-to-PR pathway and your PR application is still pending, confirm you meet all 5 eligibility conditions (residency, pathway application, authorized-to-work status at time of application, valid language test results, and current immigration status), then apply for your open work permit extension at canada.ca before December 31, 2026. If your current permit is still valid, you can apply up to 4 months before it expires.
• -If you are a family member of a TR-to-PR pathway principal applicant, check your own eligibility for an open work permit at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/tr-pr-pathway/open-work-permit.html and apply before December 31, 2026.
• -If you are a prospective master's or doctoral student, confirm your program qualifies at a public designated learning institution and apply for your study permit without a PAL/TAL at canada.ca/study-permit. Doctoral applicants should request expedited processing at the time of application.
• -Employers planning to hire foreign workers through the high-wage LMIA stream should budget at least 88 business days (as of July 2026) for ESDC processing. Check current processing times monthly at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/foreign-workers/processing-times.html before setting candidate start dates.