Canada Changes Work Permit Rules

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated its rules so that work permit applicants will no longer be refused when the administration takes longer than anticipated to process their employer's Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Key points

• Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Halifax, Fredericton and Regina are among the census metropolitan areas subject to the ban from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027.
• On August 21, 2026, IRCC raised the concurrent processing time limit from 60 days to 90 days.
• The updated web page, "Labor Market Impact Assessment Review – Temporary Foreign Worker Program, " is a public-facing version of the instructions given to immigration officers.
• The ban applies to areas with six percent or higher unemployment under a moratorium the federal administration introduced in September 2024.
• Previously, the instructions informed officers to hold the work permit application for a maximum of 90 days while awaiting a decision on the pending LMIA.

On October 28, 2026, IRCC revised its documentation to direct officers not to create a decision on a Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) work permit application until a decision has been reached on the LMIA.

For context, the updated web page, "Labor Market Impact Assessment Review – Temporary Foreign Worker Program, " is a public-facing version of the instructions given to immigration officers. Latvia Introduces Major Changes to Golden Visa and Residency Rules.

In practice, the change affects work permit applications filed under IRCC's concurrent processing rules. It allow an in-Canada worker to apply for a TFWP work permit while their employer's LMIA application remains pending.

To qualify for concurrent processing, a worker's existing permit must expire in two weeks or less, and their employer must have submitted the LMIA application with enough lead time to reasonably expect Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to process it before the worker's permit expires.

Workers who apply before their permit expires benefit from maintained status. It authorizes them to keep working under their existing permit's conditions until a decision is created on their extension.

Employers must hold a positive or neutral LMIA for a foreign worker to receive a new work permit or extend an existing one through the TFWP. ESDC problems a positive or neutral LMIA to confirm no qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the role. New Zealand Introduces 4 Changes to Student Visa Rules.

Separately, employers in thirty urban areas at present face a ban on LMIA applications for non-exempt jobs paying less than 120 percent of the median provincial or territorial wage.

Notably, the ban applies to areas with six percent or higher unemployment under a moratorium the federal administration introduced in September 2024. Stay Connected with ProPakistani. Obtain the latest international news and global stories wherever you prefer. Follow on Google Discover. Follow on Google News Join WhatsApp. See more ProPakistani stories in Google Search and Top Stories.

In short, canada Changes Work Permit Rules is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.