Changes are coming to LMIA-exempt work permits this year – here’s what to expect

Some major changes to Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-exempt work permits are on the docket for the year 2026, including an increase in the admissions target, a freeze on eligible fields of study for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs), and a suite of additional planned, expected, and potential measures.

Admissions target increase for foreign workers

The federal government has increased the admissions target for workers on LMIA-exempt work permits in 2026.

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The latest annual Immigration Levels Plan set the admissions target for work permits through the International Mobility Program (IMP) for the year 2026 at 170,000, a 32% increase from the notional target of 128,700 for the year 2026 in last year’s Plan.

All LMIA-exempt work permits are issued through the IMP.

The admissions target refers to the number of net new temporary resident admissions issued through the IMP; it does not include renewals of existing permits, or issuances of work permits to foreign nationals already in Canada.

The increase in the admissions target for IMP work permit issuances was accompanied by a decrease in the admissions target for LMIA-based work permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which for the year 2026 was set at 60,000, down from the earlier notional target of 82,000.

Freeze on PGWP-eligible fields of study

The federal government announced that no changes would be made to eligible fields of study for post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) in 2026.

Under the field of study rules, international student graduates from non-exempt programs must have graduated from a program linked to a labour market shortage in order to be eligible for a PGWP, in addition to meeting the other PGWP requirements.

This field of study requirement applies to international student graduates who submitted their initial study permit applications on or after November 1, 2024.

Graduates of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs are exempt from field of study requirements.

For field of study eligibility purposes, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) determines eligibility based on the list that was in effect on the date at which the graduate submitted their initial study permit application (unless the graduate since changed programs).

There are currently 1,107 study programs on the PGWP eligibility list.

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On June 25, 2025, the government had updated the list of eligible study programs, adding 119 new study programs and removing 178, then on July 4 backpedalled, announcing that the 178 programs which it had culled in June would in fact remain on the list until “early 2026.”

Under the current freeze, announced in a post on IRCC’s website on January 15, 2026, these 178 programs which had been slated for removal in early 2026 will instead remain on the list for the rest of the year.

The freeze on the PGWP-eligible field of study list comes as the government is currently completing an overhaul of the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the system used to categorize post-secondary programs using unique codes based on the program curricula.

The current version, CIP 2021 version 1.0, is set to be replaced by CIP Canada 2027 Version 1.0, which is scheduled for public release in late 2027/early 2028, according to Statistics Canada’s website.

Work permits for PNP candidates

A public policy allowing provincial nominee candidates to receive special work permits with the support of their province or territory was set to expire on December 31, 2025.

The Manitoba and Yukon nominee programs established programs to issue work permits under this policy, which contains provisions allowing for provincial nominee candidates to receive work permits issued for up to two years.

To qualify under the provisions of this policy, a foreign national must have a valid work permit at the time of applying, or must have valid work status on May 7, 2024, in addition to having a letter of employment from their current employer and a letter of support from their province or territory.

IRCC’s web page, which as of the time of writing was last updated on June 17, 2026, lists the status of this work permit as “Open until December 31, 2025.”

IRCC has not announced whether it intends to extend the policy.

Work permits for Ukrainians and their family members

Work permits for thousands of Ukrainians and their family members have been granted under a temporary public policy whose fate is uncertain.

The “Temporary public policy to facilitate continued access to open work permits and study permits for foreign nationals in Canada who arrived under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures – Extension” (CUAET) is set to expire on March 31, 2026.

The policy provides for open work permits and study permits to be issued to Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, and had been granted temporary resident status through CUAET.

IRCC has not yet announced whether it intends to renew this temporary public policy.

Should the policy expire without renewal, foreign nationals with expiring work permits that were issued under this policy will not be able to extend their existing permits, and will instead need to pursue other avenues for attaining valid temporary resident status should they wish to remain in Canada.

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Work permits for Iranians

A temporary public policy providing for work permits for thousands of Iranian nationals is also set to expire this year.

The “Updated temporary public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada as temporary residents” is set to expire on February 28, 2026.

Under this policy, Iranians who arrived in Canada on or before February 28, 2025 can obtain work permits and study permits.

The federal government has not announced whether it will extend this policy.

In-the-works legislative changes

A major immigration bill is currently proceeding through Canadian Parliament.

Bill C-12, “An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada’s borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures,” contains provisions which, if they were to become law, would provide the federal government with sweeping executive powers over temporary residents, including work permit holders.

The greatest executive powers in the proposed legislation are entrusted to the Governor in Council, the representative of Canada’s monarch who performs the functions of the head of state, generally acting on the recommendations of the prime minister and cabinet.

The proposed powers include the ability for the Governor in Council to cease accepting for processing, pause the processing of, or terminate the processing of work permit applications, as well as the abilities to vary, cancel, or suspend immigration documents, and to impose conditions on temporary residents.

These powers can only be exercised in situations which the Governor in Council considers to be in the public interest, which the bill defines as situations pertaining to “administrative errors, fraud, public health, public safety, or national security.”

C-12 also contains an overhaul of the asylum system, with provisions that restrict the submission of new asylum claims, as well as provisions that enable officials to determine that claims have been abandoned or withdrawn under certain circumstances.

The bill is likely to become law, having passed its third reading in the house of Commons on December 11, 2025.  To become law in Canada, a bill must pass three readings in both the House of Commons and the Senate, and then receive royal assent.

In Canadian politics, it is quite rare for bills passed by the House of Commons to be voted down by the Senate.

The Senate is set to proceed with consideration of C-12 after it resumes sitting on February 3, 2026.

Work permit for agriculture and fish processing

The immigration department is currently working with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to develop a new, sector-specific work permit for agriculture and fish processing, according to IRCC’s 2025 –2026 Departmental Plan.

Launch date and eligibility criteria have not yet been announced.

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