2026 is the year Canada stopped growing its immigration system and started shrinking it. The target for new temporary resident arrivals was cut to 385,000 — down more than 40% in a single year. The federal Start-Up Visa closed. Parliament passed the largest immigration reform in decades, giving the government power to cancel visas in bulk. New parents and grandparents sponsorship applications were paused for the rest of the year. This page tracks every significant change, with dates, and is updated monthly as new measures land.
Note
Last reviewed: October 20, 2026 · Update frequency: monthly, and within 48 hours of any major announcement · See the update log.
The Six Changes That Matter Most
- New temporary resident arrivals target cut to 385,000 for 2026, with a goal of reducing the temporary population below 5% of Canada’s total by end-2027.
- The federal Start-Up Visa closed to new applications on January 1, 2026. Federal business admissions are capped at roughly 500 per year.
- Bill C-12 became law on March 26, 2026, allowing the government to cancel or suspend immigration documents in groups.
- Low-wage LMIA processing halted in 30 metropolitan areas, and wage thresholds rose again on July 17.
- Express Entry was rebuilt twice — new categories in February, and from November 3, up to 100 CRS points for high-wage job offers with no LMIA needed.
- Parents and grandparents sponsorship frozen for the rest of 2026.
What Changed Since July 2026
The main business and corporate immigration changes from July 17 to October 20, 2026, newest first. Each is covered in more detail in the sections below.
Bottom line for business clients
Ottawa kept tightening low-wage hiring this fall, but it also opened a faster permanent residence route for high earners. From November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation can earn up to 100 Express Entry points with no LMIA. For executives and specialists already working in Canada, this is likely the most useful change of 2026.
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Oct 16 — Express Entry rebuilt around high-wage jobs
From November 3: up to 100 CRS points for a qualifying high-wage job offer, or up to 70 extra points for 12 months of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation. No LMIA needed for these job offers. See section 4.
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Oct 9 — Low-wage LMIA freeze list reset
30 metropolitan areas until January 7, 2027. Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge were added; Kamloops and Chilliwack came off. Winnipeg remains open.
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Sep 18 — Who counts as the LMIA “employer”
The entity that hires, directs, pays and can dismiss the worker. Staffing agencies cannot apply for client businesses. Check this if you use affiliates or an employer of record.
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Sep 15 — Global Talent Stream partners cut
Category A referral partners fell from 58 to 41, including Communitech and Invest Brampton. Category B is unaffected.
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Sep 1 — CPTPP route for British professionals
UK citizens with a job offer in a listed occupation can now get an LMIA-exempt, employer-specific work permit of up to one year.
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Aug 18 and 21 — Two LMIA process changes
Low-wage caps for small multi-site employers are now calculated per location, and IRCC can hold an in-Canada permit extension up to 90 days (from 60) while a pending LMIA is decided.
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Aug 4 — Ontario’s new PNP, with no Entrepreneur stream
The Ontario Workforce Priority stream replaced all nine OINP streams. Its EOI portal opened August 4, and Ontario raised points for higher earners in October.
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Still waiting — Start-Up Visa replacement
As at October 20, 2026, IRCC has not published the new entrepreneur pilot’s rules or an intake date.
2026 Timeline at a Glance
| Date | Change | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Federal Start-Up Visa closed to new applications | Entrepreneurs, designated organizations |
| Jan 1 | 2026 Levels Plan takes effect — TR arrivals capped at 385,000 | Everyone |
| Feb 18 | Express Entry 2026 categories announced — 10 total, 5 new | Skilled workers, physicians, senior managers |
| Mar 26 | Bill C-12 receives Royal Assent | All temporary residents, asylum claimants |
| Apr 1 | Low-wage LMIA advertising doubled to 8 weeks; youth recruitment required | Employers |
| Apr 10 | Low-wage LMIA moratorium in 30 CMAs with unemployment ≥ 6% | Employers in most large cities |
| Jun 30 | Deadline passed for 2025 Start-Up Visa commitment certificate holders to file | Pending SUV applicants |
| Jul 15 | Parents and Grandparents Program intake frozen for remainder of 2026 | Families |
| Jul 17 | TFWP high/low-wage thresholds raised in every jurisdiction except NWT | Employers, foreign workers |
| Aug 4 | Ontario Workforce Priority stream EOI portal opens; former OINP streams, including Entrepreneur, are gone | Ontario PNP candidates, entrepreneurs |
| Aug 18 | Low-wage cap for small multi-site employers calculated per work location | Employers |
| Aug 21 | Concurrent processing: IRCC can hold in-Canada work permit extensions up to 90 days for a pending LMIA | Employers, workers renewing permits |
| Sep 1 | CPTPP takes effect for the UK, opening an LMIA-exempt route for British professionals | UK citizens, Canadian employers |
| Sep 4 | Work permit holders can take programs of six months or less without a study permit | Foreign workers |
| Sep 15 | Global Talent Stream Category A referral partners cut from 58 to 41 | Tech and innovation employers |
| Sep 18 | Service Canada clarifies who counts as the LMIA employer; staffing agencies excluded | Employers using affiliates, agencies or EOR |
| Oct 9 | Low-wage LMIA freeze list reset: 30 CMAs until January 7, 2027 | Employers in most large cities |
| Oct 16 | Express Entry CRS reform announced: points for high-wage job offers and Canadian experience | Skilled workers, executives, employers |
| Nov 3 | Scheduled: new CRS points take effect; no LMIA needed for qualifying job offers | Express Entry candidates, employers |
1. The Levels Plan: The Numbers Behind Everything Else
Released on November 5, 2025, the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan is the document that explains almost every other change on this page. If a program tightened in 2026, the reason is usually that it had to fit inside these numbers.
| Category | 2026 target | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent residents | 380,000 per year through 2028 (range 350,000–420,000) | Held flat |
| New temporary resident arrivals | 385,000 (370,000 in 2027–2028) | Down sharply — over 40% year on year |
| New international students | 155,000 | Down roughly 49% |
| New temporary workers | 230,000 | Down roughly 37% |
| Provincial Nominee Program | 91,500 | Up 66% from 2025’s 55,000, but 17% below 2024’s 110,000 |
| Federal business immigration | Approximately 500 | Effectively residual |
| Francophone PR outside Quebec | 9% of admissions, rising toward 12% by 2029 | Up |
Three structural commitments sit underneath those figures:
- Temporary population below 5%. The stated goal is to bring Canada’s temporary resident population from above 6.8% down under 5% of the total population by the end of 2027. That is the single most consequential number in Canadian immigration right now.
- Economic immigration at 64% of PR admissions by 2027–2028 — the highest share in decades. Selection is shifting toward people already working in Canada.
- Up to 33,000 temporary workers transitioned to PR across 2026 and 2027 through a dedicated pathway, alongside category-based and provincial selection aimed at in-Canada candidates.
The practical read: if you are already in Canada with skilled work experience, 2026 improved your position. If you are applying from abroad for a temporary permit, it got materially harder.
2. Business and Entrepreneur Immigration
The Start-Up Visa closed
IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2025. The stated reasons were inventory growth, average processing times that had reached roughly 42 months, and concerns about the quality of the businesses coming through. Applicants holding 2025 commitment certificates had until June 30, 2026 to file their permanent residence applications; that window has now closed.
Ottawa has said a replacement pilot will follow, aimed at higher-growth firms with stronger job-creation metrics and stricter eligibility. Parameters were promised “later in 2026” and still have not been published as at October 20, 2026. We will add them here when they are.
Our assessment: do not build a Canadian entry plan around the replacement pilot. There is no draft, no intake date, and no guarantee that a designated-organization model survives at all. Plan around what is open.
What remains open for business applicants
- PNP entrepreneur streams — the main route. Investment thresholds typically CAD $100,000–$250,000 with net worth requirements of CAD $300,000–$600,000, depending on province and whether the business is urban or regional. These require you to actively operate the business in the nominating province.
- C11 entrepreneur work permit — LMIA-exempt, owner-operator, significant-benefit based. Fast, but confers no permanent residence on its own.
- C60 work permit — province-backed transition for business candidates.
- Intra-Company Transfer — for established foreign companies opening or expanding a Canadian operation. Unaffected by the 2026 business cuts, and increasingly the cleanest route for corporate applicants.
- CPTPP professional work permit (new, UK citizens) — since September 1, 2026, British citizens with a job offer in a listed professional occupation can apply for an LMIA-exempt, employer-specific work permit of up to one year. It suits UK companies placing specialists in Canada, but it does not lead to permanent residence on its own.
- Quebec Immigrant Investor Program — requires CAD $2M net worth, a CAD $1.2M investment, and French at oral level 7. Confirm the current intake status with Quebec’s immigration ministry (MIFI) before planning around it.
For a full comparison of what Canada offers investors against the US EB-5 and Gold Card programs, see our guide: Is There an EB-5 Equivalent in Canada?
PNP allocations recovered, but not to 2024 levels
Provincial nominations were set at 91,500 for 2026 — a 66% increase over the 55,000 available in 2025, but still roughly 17% below the 110,000 of 2024. Roughly 10,000 places are reserved federally for French speakers and physicians. Ontario received the largest share at approximately 14,119, followed by Alberta at 6,403, Manitoba at 6,239, British Columbia at 5,254 and Saskatchewan at 4,761.
What this means in practice: entrepreneur draws are competitive, intake windows close faster than they used to, and a workable business concept is no longer sufficient on its own. Provinces are selecting on regional benefit, sector fit, and job creation.
Ontario rebuilt its PNP — without an Entrepreneur stream
Ontario, the province with the largest 2026 allocation, revoked all nine OINP streams on May 30, 2026, including the Entrepreneur stream. The replacement, the Ontario Workforce Priority stream, launched on June 26 with three pathways: higher-skilled workers (TEER 0–3), lower-skilled workers (TEER 4–5) and self-employed physicians. Its expression-of-interest portal opened on August 4, and in October Ontario increased the points available to higher earners.
What this means for founders: as at October 20, 2026, Ontario has no business immigration pathway. Ontario has said further reforms are coming, but nothing has been announced. If Ontario is your target market, you will need to plan around a work permit, such as an intra-company transfer or C11, or consider an entrepreneur stream in another province.
3. Employers, LMIA and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
This is where 2026 was most aggressive. Four measures landed between April and July, and the changes kept coming through August, September and October.
Employers filing a low-wage LMIA must now advertise the position for eight consecutive weeks, up from four, and must include recruitment efforts directed at youth. Advertising must be completed within the three months immediately before the LMIA is submitted.
Low-wage LMIA applications are not being processed in census metropolitan areas where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The list is reset every quarter. The current list, in force from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, covers 30 areas, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa-Gatineau and Halifax. For most employers in most large Canadian cities, the low-wage stream is closed.
The list moves. On July 10, Winnipeg, Halifax, Regina and five other areas came off it. On October 9, Halifax, Fredericton, Kingston, St. Catharines-Niagara, Regina and Lethbridge went back on, while Kamloops and Chilliwack came off. Winnipeg remains open. The next update is expected on January 8, 2027.
Separately in Quebec, a moratorium suspends low-wage LMIA processing for positions on the Island of Montreal and in Laval until December 31, 2026.
The hourly wage thresholds dividing the high-wage and low-wage streams were increased in every province and territory except the Northwest Territories. Thresholds are generally set at 120% of the provincial or territorial median hourly wage and now range from approximately $31.20 to $48.00 per hour. Increases ranged from $0.92 in Ontario to $3.00 in Nunavut.
One important detail: applications submitted before July 17, 2026 are assessed against the previous thresholds regardless of when the decision issues. If you filed in early July, you are grandfathered.
August 18: for small employers with several sites, ESDC now calculates the low-wage cap for each work location rather than across the whole national workforce. A location with fewer than 10 employees is treated as having 10, so it can usually have one low-wage foreign worker under the 10% cap, or two under the 20% cap.
August 21: IRCC can now hold an eligible in-Canada work permit extension for up to 90 days (up from 60) while the employer’s pending LMIA is decided. The worker’s permit must expire within two weeks, and the LMIA must have been filed with reasonable lead time. Last-minute filings are accepted only exceptionally.
September 15: ESDC cut the Global Talent Stream Category A referral partners from 58 to 41. Ontario lost the most, including Communitech, Invest Brampton and the Toronto Business Development Centre. Employers need a referral from a remaining regional or pan-Canadian partner, such as BDC or NRC-IRAP. Category B, which uses the Global Talent Occupations List, is unaffected. GTS processing remains fast, at about 9 business days in September.
September 18: Service Canada clarified who the LMIA employer is: the entity that hires, directs, pays and can dismiss the worker. Staffing agencies cannot apply on behalf of client businesses, and foreign workers cannot be treated as independent contractors. If your group uses affiliates, shared-services companies or an employer of record, confirm which entity should file before you apply.
High-wage LMIAs are slowing down: average processing reached 98 business days in September 2026, the highest level this year.
IRCC and ESDC reported an increase in employer non-compliance findings during 2026 amid a broader TFWP crackdown. If you hold LMIAs or employ foreign workers, treat an inspection as a live possibility rather than a remote one: wage and hour records, the job description as approved, and workplace conditions are the usual points of failure.
The practical route for employers in 2026 is to move up the wage scale into the high-wage stream, or out of the LMIA system entirely — International Mobility Program exemptions, intra-company transfers, and the Global Talent Stream where the role qualifies.
4. Express Entry Was Rebuilt
On February 18, 2026, Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced 2026’s category-based selection priorities. Ten categories, five of them new.
| New for 2026 | Renewed | Removed |
|---|---|---|
| Physicians | French-language proficiency | Agriculture and agri-food |
| Researchers | Healthcare | — |
| Senior managers with Canadian work experience | STEM | — |
| Transport occupations | Trades | — |
| Skilled military recruits | Education | — |
The change most likely to catch people out: minimum work experience for all renewed categories rose from six months to twelve. Candidates who qualified for a category draw in 2025 on seven or eight months of experience no longer qualify.
The senior managers category is the notable addition for our clients — it targets TEER 0 senior management occupations (NOC 00012–00015) with Canadian work experience, which is directly relevant to executives who entered on an intra-company transfer or C11 permit. Our analysis: Express Entry Senior Managers Category 2026 and the full 2026 occupation list.
New from November 3, 2026: points for high-wage work. On October 16, IRCC announced the Comprehensive Ranking System reform it had signalled earlier in the year. Candidates can earn extra points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, or for at least 12 months of Canadian experience in one. They receive whichever gives more points; the two are not combined. Wage levels are set by the occupation’s median wage, not your own salary, and the occupation must be on IRCC’s designated list.
| Occupation wage level | Qualifying job offer | 12+ months Canadian experience |
|---|---|---|
| 2× the median wage or more | 100 points | +70 points |
| 1.5× the median wage or more | 70 points | +40 points |
| 1.3× the median wage or more | 50 points | +20 points |
Maximum for this factor: 150 points with no accompanying spouse or partner, 140 with one. Source: IRCC, October 16, 2026.
No LMIA needed. From November 3, a qualifying job offer no longer needs an LMIA to earn these points. A temporary public policy also removes the LMIA requirement for job offers used to qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades programs. IRCC will still check that the offer and the employer are genuine, and the points are lost if the offer is withdrawn.
Our assessment: for corporate clients, this matters more than the senior managers category. An executive or specialist working in Canada on an intra-company transfer in a high-wage occupation can now earn substantial extra points from that experience, and an employer can support a candidate with a job offer without running an LMIA. C11 owners should be careful: self-employed work generally does not count as Canadian work experience under Express Entry, so speak to us before relying on these points. Profiles already in the pool will be recalculated automatically, and invitation rounds may pause briefly during the switch.
5. Bill C-12: The Enforcement Regime
The Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act received Royal Assent on March 26, 2026 (S.C. 2026, c. 4). It is the most significant piece of Canadian immigration legislation in decades, and it changed the character of the system rather than any single program.
Bulk cancellation powers
The government may now cancel, suspend, or vary immigration documents in groups — work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas and eTAs — where doing so is in the public interest. It may also pause application intake and suspend or cancel processing of applications already filed. Public interest grounds include fraud, administrative error, and concerns for public health, safety or national security.
There are procedural guardrails worth knowing. A decision cannot be made by a minister alone: it requires an order in council recommended by Cabinet, published in the Canada Gazette and reported to Parliament. And these powers do not extend to cancelling anyone’s status as a temporary or permanent resident.
What this means practically: a Canadian immigration document is now a less durable asset than it was. For business clients planning around a work permit, that is a real planning input — build contingency into relocation timelines and employment contracts. Our analysis of the risk to entrepreneurs: Bill C-12 and the Start-Up Visa Program.
Asylum eligibility restrictions
Two new grounds of ineligibility for referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board:
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The one-year bar.
A claim made more than one year after entering Canada is ineligible. This applies to claimants who entered after June 24, 2020.
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The 14-day rule.
A person who entered between ports of entry along the Canada–US land border and did not claim within 14 days of arrival is ineligible.
Both apply retroactively to claims made on or after June 3, 2025 — the date Bill C-2, C-12’s precursor, was introduced. Tens of thousands of pending claims were affected. Ineligible claimants cannot be referred to the IRB but may still apply for a pre-removal risk assessment.
The Act also expands data sharing between IRCC and other departments and levels of government.
6. Students and Their Families
The target for new international student arrivals was cut to 155,000 for 2026, roughly 49% below the previous year’s target. Two rules introduced earlier still matter alongside the number.
Spousal open work permits remain narrow. Since January 21, 2025, a spouse can apply for an open work permit only where the principal applicant is enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program, or in a specified professional degree such as medicine or law. Spouses of undergraduate and college students are no longer eligible unless they qualify for work authorization in their own right. Note the trap: several accelerated master’s programs run 12 to 14 months, and a program shorter than 16 months does not support a spousal permit.
PGWP. The eligible field-of-study list did not change in 2026. Master’s and doctoral graduates remain exempt from field-of-study requirements entirely, and master’s graduates continue to receive a three-year post-graduation work permit regardless of program length — which matters more now that category-based Express Entry draws require twelve months of experience.
Off-campus work remains capped at 24 hours per week, counted across all employers combined. Exceeding it, even marginally, is a study permit condition breach and surfaces during PGWP assessment.
7. Family Sponsorship and Citizenship
Parents and grandparents frozen again
On July 15, 2026, IRCC confirmed it will accept no new Parents and Grandparents Program applications for the remainder of 2026 — no interest-to-sponsor forms, no invitations, until further notice. IRCC did send invitations in 2024 and 2025, drawn from interest-to-sponsor forms submitted in 2020. There will be no round in 2026, and no new interest-to-sponsor window has opened since 2020.
Existing applications continue to be processed, with up to 15,000 admissions planned for 2026. The super visa remains the interim option — long visits, no path to permanent residence, available now.
Citizenship by descent opened up
Running counter to the general tightening: Bill C-3 received Royal Assent on November 20, 2025 and came into force on December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent. Citizenship can now flow through a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent where there is an unbroken chain of Canadian citizenship.
For children born or adopted abroad on or after December 15, 2025, the Canadian parent must demonstrate 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada for citizenship to pass automatically. If you were born before that date and can establish the chain, you may already be a citizen and need only apply for proof.
This is worth checking if you have Canadian ancestry — it is the one 2026 change that made status easier to obtain rather than harder.
8. Processing Times: The Reality Check
From IRCC’s July 22, 2026 data release. Backlogs moved in both directions this year, and one category deteriorated badly.
| Stream | Current | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Citizenship certificates | 19 months | Sharply worse — was about 3 months in March 2026 |
| Inland work permits | 122 days | Improving |
| Canadian Experience Class | 6 months | Stable |
| Parents and grandparents | Down 4 months since April | Improving |
| Super visa (India) | Near historic lows | Improving |
| High-wage LMIA (ESDC, September 2026) | 98 business days | Worse — 2026 high, up about 75% since January |
| Global Talent Stream LMIA (September 2026) | 9 business days | Within the 10-day standard |
The citizenship certificate collapse — from roughly three months to nineteen, with 17,500 applicants added in a single reporting cycle — is a direct consequence of Bill C-3. Removing the first-generation limit created a large new eligible population, all of whom need proof of citizenship. If you are claiming by descent, file early and do not plan travel around it.
What to Watch for the Rest of 2026
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Start-Up Visa replacement pilot parameters.
Promised for 2026 and still unpublished as at October 20. This is the single most consequential pending item for entrepreneurs.
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Express Entry draws after November 3.
The first rounds under the new high-wage points will show how far cut-off scores rise for candidates without high-wage experience or job offers. Draws may pause briefly while profiles are recalculated.
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The 2027–2029 Levels Plan.
Due around November 1, 2026. Watch the federal business and PNP targets, and whether the temporary resident cuts deepen.
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The first orders in council under Bill C-12.
We have not seen a published order as at October 20, 2026. The first use will tell us a great deal about how broadly these powers will be read.
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Ontario’s next OINP phase.
Ontario has said more reforms will follow. Whether a business or entrepreneur pathway returns is the open question for founders targeting Ontario.
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Further TFWP restriction.
The low-wage freeze list is next reset on January 8, 2027. Given the trajectory of 2026, more tightening would not be surprising.
What This Means for You
| If you are… | The 2026 takeaway |
|---|---|
| An entrepreneur outside Canada | The Start-Up Visa is not an option, and Ontario no longer has an Entrepreneur stream. Focus on the remaining provincial entrepreneur streams or a C11 owner-operator permit, and expect to demonstrate genuine regional economic benefit. |
| An established foreign company | Intra-company transfer is your strongest position — largely untouched by the 2026 cuts and not dependent on LMIA availability. From November 3, executives in high-wage roles can also earn extra Express Entry points for their Canadian experience. |
| A Canadian employer | If your roles are low-wage and in one of the 30 frozen cities, the LMIA route is closed until at least January 2027. Move up the wage scale or into an LMIA-exempt category, confirm which entity is the employer, and prepare for inspection. A high-wage job offer no longer needs an LMIA to support an Express Entry candidate. |
| A skilled worker already in Canada | Your position improved. Selection favours in-Canada candidates, and from November 3, 12 months of Canadian experience in a high-wage occupation can add up to 70 CRS points. Check the twelve-month experience threshold. |
| A skilled worker abroad | Harder. Target a 2026 category, or find a route to Canadian work experience first. |
| Someone with Canadian ancestry | Check Bill C-3 eligibility. You may already be a citizen. File for proof early given the 19-month queue. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Six changes dominate: the target for new temporary resident arrivals was cut to 385,000 for the year, the federal Start-Up Visa closed to new applications on January 1, Bill C-12 became law on March 26 giving the government power to cancel immigration documents in groups, low-wage LMIA processing was halted in 30 metropolitan areas, Express Entry category-based selection was rebuilt with five new categories, and new Parents and Grandparents sponsorship applications were paused for the rest of 2026.
Yes, but selectively. Permanent resident admissions are held roughly flat at 380,000 per year through 2028. The reduction is concentrated in temporary residents, where the target for new arrivals was cut to 385,000 for 2026 — a drop of more than 40% year on year — with international student arrivals down about 49% and temporary worker arrivals down about 37%. The stated objective is to bring the temporary resident population below 5% of Canada’s total population by the end of 2027.
No. IRCC stopped accepting new Start-Up Visa applications on January 1, 2026, citing inventory growth and average processing times of roughly 42 months. Holders of 2025 commitment certificates had until June 30, 2026 to file, and that window has closed. A more selective replacement pilot has been announced in principle, but as at October 20, 2026 IRCC has not published its rules or an intake date.
Bill C-12, in force since March 26, 2026, allows the federal government to cancel, suspend or vary immigration documents in groups — including work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas and eTAs — where it is in the public interest. Any such decision requires an order in council recommended by Cabinet, published in the Canada Gazette and reported to Parliament. The powers do not extend to cancelling permanent or temporary resident status. Practically, it means a Canadian immigration document is a less durable asset than before, and relocation planning should carry contingency.
For high-wage positions, yes, although high-wage LMIAs were taking about 98 business days to process in September 2026. For low-wage positions in most large cities, effectively no. Under the list in force from October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, low-wage LMIAs are not processed in 30 census metropolitan areas with unemployment of 6% or higher, including Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa-Gatineau and Halifax. Elsewhere, low-wage applications require eight weeks of advertising and youth-directed recruitment, and wage thresholds rose again on July 17, 2026.
Also check who the employer is. Since September 18, 2026, Service Canada guidance says the LMIA employer is the entity that hires, directs, pays and can dismiss the worker. Staffing agencies cannot apply on behalf of client businesses.
IRCC announced ten category-based selection categories on February 18, 2026. Five are new: physicians, researchers, senior managers with Canadian work experience, transport occupations, and skilled military recruits. Five were renewed: French-language proficiency, healthcare, STEM, trades, and education. Agriculture and agri-food was removed. Critically, the minimum work experience for all renewed categories increased from six months to twelve.
A second change takes effect on November 3, 2026. Candidates can earn up to 100 CRS points for a qualifying job offer in a high-wage occupation, or up to 70 additional points for at least 12 months of Canadian experience in one, whichever is higher. An LMIA is no longer needed for a qualifying job offer to earn these points.
Not through a new application. On July 15, 2026, IRCC confirmed it will accept no new Parents and Grandparents Program applications for the remainder of the year — no interest-to-sponsor forms and no invitations until further notice. Existing applications continue to be processed, with up to 15,000 admissions planned for 2026. The super visa remains available for extended visits, though it does not lead to permanent residence.
Yes. Bill C-3 came into force on December 15, 2025, removing the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent, so citizenship can now flow through a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent where there is an unbroken chain of Canadian citizenship. For children born or adopted abroad on or after that date, the Canadian parent must show 1,095 cumulative days of physical presence in Canada. The change has driven citizenship certificate processing to roughly 19 months, so file early.
Related Guides
- Is There an EB-5 Equivalent in Canada?
- Canada vs. US for Startup Immigration (2026)
- Canada Visitor Visa (TRV) Refused? Your Options and Next Steps
- Provincial Nominee Programs in Canada
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
- Intra-Company Transfer Program
- All News & Insights
Last reviewed: October 20, 2026 by Rakhmad Sobirov, Managing Lawyer. This page is maintained as a live tracker and reviewed monthly.
Sources
- IRCC — Changes to Express Entry for high-wage occupations (October 2026)
- IRCC — Supplementary Information for the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan
- IRCC — Bill C-12 measures become law (March 2026)
- IRCC — Managing the Parents and Grandparents Program (July 2026)
- IRCC — Changes to citizenship rules (Bill C-3)
- ESDC — TFWP median wage thresholds by province and territory
- IRCC — 2026–27 Departmental Plan
- IRCC — Express Entry category-based selection
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27
Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Canadian immigration policy and is not legal advice. Canadian immigration law and IRCC policy change frequently — every figure and date here is stated as at October 20, 2026 and should be verified before you act on it. Outcomes depend on the specific facts of each application. For advice on your situation, speak with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer. Sobirovs Law Firm lawyers are licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
