2024 Canadian Immigration Policy Review — Changes to LMIA-Exempt Work Permits
LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) is an official document that Canadian employers usually need to obtain before hiring foreign workers. This document is issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and is used to assess whether hiring foreign workers will have a positive or neutral impact on Canada’s labor market. Once a Canadian employer obtains an LMIA, the recruited worker who has not yet started their employment can apply for a work permit. After receiving the work permit, the worker can begin their job in Canada.
In certain special circumstances, foreign workers can obtain a work permit in Canada without an LMIA.
Overview of Policy Changes
| Policy | Summary of change | Effective date for the change(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Removal of eligibility for SOWPs for spouses of some students | Spouses of students in college programs and university bachelor’s programs no longer eligible for SOWPs. | March 19, 2024 |
| New work permit for PNP nominee candidates (Temporary Public Policy) | Some PNP candidates can apply for open work permits | August 11, 2024 |
| Updated instructions regarding ICTs under the IMP | Stricter criteria for multinational qualifications and expertise | October 3, 2024 |
| Extension of TR to PR Pathway (Temporary Public Policy) | Open work permits for TR to PR applicants extended | December 17, 2024 |
| Ban on Flagpoling | Temporary residents within Canada can no longer obtain same-day service for immigration applications at ports of entry. | December 23, 2024 |
Restrictions on Spousal Open Work Permits (SOWP)
Effective March 19, 2024, spouses of college and undergraduate students are no longer eligible for SOWPs. Only spouses of master’s and Ph.D. students retain eligibility. Additionally, undergraduate students in certain professional programs, such as medicine, engineering, and education, may still apply for SOWPs. This policy tightening poses challenges for the employment and financial support of international student families.
Eligible undergraduate programs for SOWP applications include:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS, DMD)
- Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor (LLB, JD, BCL)
- Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Doctor of Optometry (OD)
- Pharmacy (PharmD, BS, BSc, BPharm)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN, BSN, BNSc)
- Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.)
- Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng., BE, BASc)
On September 18, 2024, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced plans to further restrict SOWP eligibility. Miller stated that spouses of master’s students would only qualify for SOWPs if the master’s program lasts at least 16 months. Additionally, he noted that spouses of work permit holders would only be eligible if the primary applicant’s job is in a skilled or labor-shortage profession, providing examples such as:
- Executives
- Scientists
- Engineers
- Lawyers
- Professors
- Technicians
- Healthcare practitioners
- Construction workers
Miller emphasized that these changes are expected to take effect in 2024, though they have not yet been implemented.
Relaxation of PNP Nominee Work Permits (Temporary Public Policy)
On August 11, 2024, Canada allowed certain Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates to apply for open work permits, enabling them to work legally while waiting for their immigration application results. To qualify, foreign nationals must meet the following conditions:
- Provide a support letter from their province or territory indicating they are PNP nominees;
- Present a current employment offer letter;
- Fulfill one of the following three scenarios:
- Hold a valid work permit and have applied for a new work permit.
- Held a valid work permit on May 7, 2024, that has since expired and have applied for both a new work permit and an extension of their temporary resident status or restoration of status.
- Were authorized to work in Canada on May 7, 2024, with a pending or approved extension application, and have since applied for a new work permit and temporary resident status extension.
This temporary public policy, implemented to allow PNP candidates to continue working legally in Canada, has been adopted by provinces such as Alberta, Manitoba, and Yukon. However, it expired on December 31, 2024.
Updates to Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Policies
On October 3, 2024, IRCC updated its guidelines for obtaining work permits under the International Mobility Program (IMP) for Intra-Company Transferees (ICT).
The changes strengthen the criteria for foreign nationals to qualify for ICT work permits, including:
- Guidance for visa officers to ensure foreign businesses meet the qualifications of a multinational company (MNC).
- Clarification of the definition of “specialized knowledge” and criteria for assessing whether applicants possess such expertise or if the role requires it.
The updated guidelines stress that the ICT program is not meant to be used “as a means to transfer an enterprise’s general work force to affiliated entities in Canada.”
Extension of TR to PR Pathway (Temporary Public Policy)
On December 17, 2024, IRCC extended a temporary public policy allowing applicants under the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway (TR to PR Pathway) to obtain open work permits.
This extension applies to foreign nationals with applications still being processed under the TR to PR Pathway. Eligible individuals whose current work permits are set to expire within four months may apply for an open work permit, subject to additional requirements. Family members may also be eligible for open work permits.
The temporary public policy has been extended until December 31, 2026, but IRCC reserves the right to revoke it at any time.
Ban on Flagpoling
Flagpoling refers to the practice where temporary residents leave Canada and immediately re-enter at the border to expedite the processing of immigration applications, such as work permits or renewals.
On December 17, 2024, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a ban on this practice, effective December 23, 2024. Before the ban, flagpoling was a legitimate and commonly used method by foreign nationals in Canada.
Exceptions to the ban include:
- U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents;
- Professionals and technicians covered under free trade agreements with the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Panama, Peru, Colombia, and South Korea;
- Spouses of such professionals and technicians under agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea;
- International truck drivers holding work permits who leave Canada for work purposes and have applied for renewals prior to departure while maintaining their status;
- Individuals with appointments scheduled with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Foreign nationals not covered by these exceptions must apply within Canada and wait for processing.
Additionally, as of June 21, 2024, IRCC had already banned flagpoling for post-graduation work permit (PGWP) applicants.
Friendly reminder: There are many pathways to immigrate to Canada. We recommend first using UNA AI to generate an objective and neutral immigration plan, so you can gain an initial understanding of the possible immigration pathways and their requirements, and then choose to proceed with one-on-one consultations with a licensed Canadian immigration consultant partnered with UNA.
B.C. issues 33 invitations in second rural health support draw as cutoff climbs to 60
On Sept 17, 2026, the British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) held the second draw under its Temporary Rural/Remote Health Support Initiative (TRHSI), issuing 33 invitations to apply for provincial nomination to cleaning and security staff employed by a public health authority in a rural or remote part of the province, with a minimum score of 60 — 10 points above the 50-point cutoff used in the first draw on July 23, 2026 — while the number of invitations fell from 60 to 33, bringing the two-draw total to 93 invitations to apply (ITAs), or roughly 37% of the initiative's cap of 250 nominations. TRHSI is a one-time, time-limited permanent residence (PR) pathway launched when B.C. restructured its nominee program on April 23, 2026; registration opened June 15, 2026, and eligibility is confined to three National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes — 65312, 65310 and 64410 — with applicants required to have completed nine months of continuous full-time work with the same employer, in the same eligible region and in the same occupation. The registration window was originally set to close at midnight on Aug 31 but was extended to 11:59 p.m. on Oct 7, 2026 because of wildfire-related impacts. The wider context is that B.C.'s 2026 nomination allocation rose to 6,254 after the federal government added 1,000 spaces in August, with at least 35% of nominations required to go to candidates outside Metro Vancouver; and that since June 9, 2026, base Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) nominees applying for PR no longer need to wait for an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) before applying for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) — a federal temporary measure running to Dec 31, 2026 that matters especially to TRHSI applicants, who have no Express Entry-aligned option.
09/20/2026
Canada holds back-to-back Express Entry draws: CEC cut-off eases to 519, while the senior managers category sets a record low
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held Express Entry draws on two consecutive days, September 15 and 16, 2026, issuing invitations to apply (ITAs) to two very different groups of candidates. Round #443, conducted on September 15 at 10:21:41 UTC, issued 2,000 invitations under the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 519 and a tie-breaking rule of March 26, 2026 at 00:16:39 UTC; round #444, held the following day at 12:44:28 UTC, issued 250 invitations under the category for senior managers with Canadian work experience at a minimum CRS score of just 389, with a tie-breaking rule of September 1, 2026 at 23:05:13 UTC. Both rounds were authorized by ministerial instructions signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The senior managers category, created in February 2026, has now run three draws, with the cut-off falling from 429 in its first round to 392 and then 389 -- a cumulative drop of 40 points and the lowest threshold in the category's short history. Over the same period, the CEC cut-off has declined for a third consecutive round after peaking at a 2026 high of 523 on August 18. Through round #444, IRCC has held 56 draws and issued 128,982 invitations in 2026, an annual record since Express Entry was launched.
09/18/2026
Express Entry round #442 issues 576 PNP invitations as the cut-off climbs back to 734
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held the 442nd Express Entry round on September 14, 2026, issuing 576 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence to candidates in the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) category with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 734, up 37 points from the 697 recorded on August 31, the lowest PNP cut-off of the year, while the size of the round edged past the 562 invitations issued two weeks earlier to make it the second-largest PNP round since June 22. The ministerial instruction behind the round was signed in Ottawa by Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab, and the tie-breaking rule was set at 21:39:50 UTC on August 29, 2026, barely two weeks before the draw itself, a sign that a substantial share of the candidates sitting exactly at 734 were recently nominated applicants who had only just entered the pool. With this round, IRCC has held 54 Express Entry draws in 2026 and issued 126,732 invitations in total, including 18 PNP rounds accounting for 8,537 invitations, 22.8 percent more than the 6,947 issued over the same period in 2025 and consistent with Ottawa's decision to restore the 2026 provincial nominee admissions target to 91,500. A pool snapshot published the day before the draw showed 226,793 candidates in the pool, of whom roughly 574 scored 601 or higher, almost exactly matching the 576 invitations issued, which means IRCC once again cleared out nearly the entire top tier of nominated candidates in a single round. Analysts expect the remaining PNP rounds this year to keep to a roughly biweekly rhythm of a little over 400 invitations each, with the cut-off driven largely by how quickly the provinces feed new nominations into the federal pool.
09/15/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues just 36 provincial nomination invitations on September 10, the smallest round of the year
On September 10, 2026, the Newfoundland and Labrador Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism (OIM) invited 36 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) — the province's 14th draw of the year, its smallest round of 2026, and the third round since the Expression of Interest (EOI) model launched in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation, the second such round in a row. The province has now issued 2,592 invitations in 2026, comprising 2,198 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP; by comparison, Newfoundland and Labrador issued 3,376 invitations across 13 rounds in all of 2025, meaning that this year's total is 784 lower despite one additional draw, with round sizes contracting steadily since mid-August. The province has still not published its 2026 nomination allocation, and industry media have suggested that the recent pattern of small, frequent draws may reflect a limited pool of remaining spaces, though the province has offered no explanation. For those invited, a federal temporary measure in effect since June 9 allows provincial nominees applying for permanent residence (PR) from inside Canada to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), helping them avoid a gap in status during a base provincial nominee processing cycle that currently runs about 13 months.
09/14/2026
Alberta Issues 722 Invitations Across Three Early-September Draws, With Tech and Health Care Rounds Both Cutting Off at 60
The Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) held three draws between September 1 and September 9, 2026, all aimed at candidates holding an Alberta job offer, issuing a combined 722 invitations to apply for a provincial nomination: on September 1, the Alberta Opportunity Stream invited 575 candidates with a minimum score of 56; on September 3, the Alberta Express Entry Stream – Accelerated Tech Pathway invited 96 tech workers with a minimum score of 60; and on September 9, the Dedicated Health Care Pathway – Express Entry invited 51 health care workers, also at a minimum score of 60. Invited candidates have a set window in which to submit a provincial nomination application, and once nominated they apply to the federal government for permanent residence (PR), with those already in Canada able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) while they wait; under Operational Bulletin 699, which Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued and brought into force on June 9, 2026, in-Canada provincial nominees who have not yet received an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) for their PR application may apply for a BOWP on the strength of their submission confirmation email and proof of payment, a measure that runs until December 31, 2026. As of September 9, Alberta had issued 4,864 nominations this year, roughly 74 percent of its full-year allocation of 6,603, leaving 1,739 spots; the Worker Expression of Interest pool still held 35,957 active profiles, of which the Alberta Opportunity Stream alone accounted for 22,381 against just 837 remaining nominations in that stream, so competition remains intense. Health care and technology are both among Alberta's designated priority sectors for 2026, alongside construction, aviation, agriculture and manufacturing.
09/12/2026
Canada Restores Study-Permit Exemption for Work Permit Holders, in Force Until the End of 2027
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a temporary public policy on September 9, 2026 that allows foreign nationals holding a valid work permit to enrol in a course of six months or less without applying for a study permit, even if the course ends after the period of stay authorized on their first entry to Canada. Signed by Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Lena Metlege Diab on August 5, the policy took effect on September 4, runs until December 31, 2027, and may be revoked at any time. It revives a measure of the same name introduced in June 2023 that expired on June 27 of this year, but with a narrower reach: the earlier policy let eligible workers, including those on maintained status, study programs of any length without a study permit, whereas the new one requires applicants to hold a valid work permit and waives only the requirement that a course be completed within the initial authorized period of stay. As of June 30, 2026, roughly 1.55 million foreign nationals in Canada held a work permit only, and about 630,000 held a study permit. IRCC says the measure is intended to help workers already in the country, such as tradespeople, nurses and laboratory technicians, upgrade their skills and credentials to fill gaps in critical sectors, and that it does not change the government's overall target of reducing temporary residents to less than 5 percent of the population.
09/10/2026
RBC Report Urges Ottawa to Scrap Express Entry Category Draws and Return to Pure Points-Based Selection
On September 1, 2026, RBC Thought Leadership, the think tank arm of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), published a report titled A Smarter Immigration Strategy, arguing that Express Entry has drifted away from the purpose it was built for: since category-based selection was introduced in 2023, lower-scoring candidates have been able to jump the queue through an occupational or language category, while higher-scoring applicants waiting in the pool are left behind. Citing government data, the report finds that the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score needed for an invitation through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is "over 100 points more, on average" than what some category draws require, a gap that has been especially visible in the 2026 rounds: through September 4, CEC cutoffs have stayed between 507 and 523, while the French-language proficiency category fell as low as 382 and the February 19 physician draw cleared at just 169 — the lowest cutoff any category draw has ever recorded. In response, RBC puts forward seven recommendations, including inviting the highest-ranked candidates first, tightening or eliminating category-based draws at the federal level, reversing the 2022 legislation that authorized the categories, setting a minimum share of economic immigration for Express Entry, reintroducing a minimum cutoff based on core factors, devolving targeted category selection to the provinces and territories, and committing to regular recalibration of the CRS formula. It bears emphasizing that these are the policy recommendations of a private institution, not a government decision. As of September 9, neither Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) nor Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab had responded publicly to the report, and draws for the French-language, healthcare and physician categories are still running as scheduled; IRCC did, however, consult this spring on merging the three federal high-skilled programs and recalibrating the CRS, and again from August to early September on the shape of the 2027 categories, saying it is considering "narrowing" the number or eligibility scope of labour-shortage categories. The 2027–2029 Immigration Levels Plan is due to be tabled in Parliament by November 1, at which point the overall direction of federal economic immigration should become clearer.
09/09/2026
Canada raises study permit proof-of-funds threshold to $23,448, and tightens scrutiny of where the money comes from
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has raised the study permit proof-of-funds requirement as of September 1, 2026, with a single applicant studying outside Quebec now required to show at least $23,448 CAD for a first year of living expenses, up $553 from the previous $22,895, and with the thresholds for larger families rising in step. Alongside the higher dollar figures, IRCC has updated its guidance to make clear that officers will assess not only how much money an applicant has but where it came from and whether it will remain available throughout the period of study, with applicants expected to supply six months of bank statements and documents explaining the source of the deposits shown in them; those enrolled in programs longer than one year must also set out how they intend to pay for the remaining years. The threshold covers living costs only, meaning tuition and round-trip transportation must be demonstrated separately, and Quebec continues to apply its own financial capacity standard through the CAQ, set at $24,617 for a single applicant. The increase extends a policy direction Canada has followed since 2024, combining sharply higher financial requirements with a shrinking study permit cap, which falls to 408,000 for 2026, a 7% reduction from 2025.
09/08/2026
Newfoundland and Labrador issues 97 provincial nominee invitations on September 4, with no Atlantic Immigration Program candidates selected
Newfoundland and Labrador invited 97 candidates to apply for a provincial nomination through the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Nominee Program (NLPNP) on September 4, 2026, in the province's 13th draw of the year and only the second round since it moved to an Expression of Interest (EOI) model in February 2025 in which no Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) candidate received an invitation. The province has now issued 2,556 invitations in 2026 — 2,162 through the NLPNP and 394 through the AIP — well behind the 3,376 invitations it issued across 13 rounds in all of 2025, with the AIP's share falling from roughly 27% to about 15%. Candidates who receive an invitation should also note a change at the federal level: since June 9, 2026, provincial nominees who submit a permanent residence (PR) application from inside Canada have been able to apply for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) before receiving an Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), allowing them to maintain status while their application is processed; the temporary measure is currently in place until December 31, 2026. Federal processing currently takes about 13 months for base PNP permanent residence applications and about 7 months for Express Entry-aligned (enhanced) nominations.
09/07/2026
Canada Issues 3,500 More Express Entry Invitations to Healthcare and Social Services Candidates, With the CRS Cut-Off Holding at 475
On September 4, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held this year's third Express Entry draw targeting healthcare and social services occupations, issuing 3,500 invitations to apply (ITAs) for permanent residence with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 475 — unchanged from the previous healthcare round on June 25 and above the 467 recorded in the category's first round of the year on February 20. The category has now issued 11,500 invitations in 2026. The round was also IRCC's 53rd Express Entry draw of the year, pushing the 2026 total past 126,000 invitations, of which the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) and the French-language proficiency category together account for more than 80 percent — a distribution that reflects Ottawa's current preference for candidates already in Canada while still steering capacity toward shortage occupations. Since IRCC refreshed its category framework on February 19, 2026 and raised the minimum work-experience requirement for renewed categories from six months to one year, healthcare cut-offs have trended higher overall, leaving eligible health and social services workers to reassess both their scores and their timing.
09/05/2026
