Canadian Immigration Policy Updates

Permanent-residence application fees increased

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: Permanent-residence applicants

Announced Apr 30, 2026 · In effect Apr 30, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From April 30, 2026, IRCC raised permanent-residence fees. For an economic-class principal applicant, the processing fee rose to CA$990 (from $950) and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee to CA$600 (from $575) — about CA$1,590 combined, up from CA$1,525. Family, business and other classes also rose.

Our analysis: Permanent-residence fees went up on April 30, 2026. For an economic-class principal applicant the processing fee is now CA$990 and the Right of Permanent Residence Fee CA$600 — about CA$1,590 together (up from CA$1,525). Family, business and other classes rose too. Budget for the current amounts.

Potential downsides: Submitting with the old fee amounts can get an application returned as incomplete, costing weeks. Fees are also periodically adjusted, so a figure quoted in an older blog or forum post may already be wrong — always price against the current official fee list before paying.

Official source: IRCC — PR fees increasing (Apr 30, 2026)

Low-wage LMIA jobs now require 8 weeks of advertising

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: Canadian employers, Foreign workers

Announced Apr 1, 2026 · In effect Apr 1, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

Employers applying for a low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessment must now advertise the position for at least 8 consecutive weeks (up from 4) in the 3 months before applying.

Our analysis: If a Canadian job offer depends on a low-wage LMIA, the employer's recruitment now takes longer — the advertising alone runs at least 8 weeks before the application can be filed. Plan the hiring timeline around it.

Potential downsides: The longer advertising window pushes the whole timeline back, which can be a problem when a work permit or status is expiring soon. It also gives employers more reason to hesitate on LMIA-based hires, so candidates who rely on this route may find fewer willing employers.

Official source: ESDC — Low-wage stream requirements

No separate co-op work permit needed for short student placements

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: International students

Announced Apr 1, 2026 · In effect Apr 1, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for a required placement (co-op, internship, practicum) as long as the placement is 50% or less of the program — their study permit is enough. Placements over 50% still need a work permit.

Our analysis: From April 1, 2026, eligible post-secondary students no longer need a separate co-op work permit for a required placement (co-op, internship, practicum) as long as it is 50% or less of the program — the study permit is enough. Placements over 50% still need a work permit.

Potential downsides: The exemption depends on conditions — the placement must be a required part of an eligible program and stay within the 50% share. Misjudging whether a program or placement qualifies, and starting work without the right permit, is a status problem, not a paperwork shortcut.

Official source: IRCC — Simplifying the co-op work permit requirement

2026 Express Entry categories shift to medical, research & transport talent

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: Express Entry candidates

Announced Feb 18, 2026 · In effect Feb 18, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

For 2026, IRCC's category-based draws prioritize foreign-credentialed medical doctors, researchers and senior managers with Canadian experience, and transport occupations — alongside continued French-language and Canadian Experience Class rounds. (STEM and tech were a draw priority in 2023–2024.)

Our analysis: Which occupations get their own Express Entry draws changed for 2026 — medical, research, senior management with Canadian experience, and transport are in focus this year, alongside French-language and Canadian Experience Class rounds. Where your occupation sits this year affects whether a category draw might reach you.

Potential downsides: Category priorities are reset each year, so an occupation prioritised before (STEM and tech in 2023–2024) may not be this year. Building a plan around a single category is fragile: if the focus shifts again, candidates who counted on it can be left waiting with no category draw to enter.

Official source: IRCC — Category-based selection

Express Entry category draws now need 1 year of experience (not 6 months)

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Express Entry candidates

Announced Feb 18, 2026 · In effect Feb 18, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From the February 18, 2026 category overhaul, candidates need at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of work experience in a single eligible occupation within the last 3 years to qualify for a category-based Express Entry draw — up from 6 months. The hours can add up; they no longer need to be continuous.

Our analysis: Since the Feb 18, 2026 category overhaul, a category-based Express Entry draw needs at least 1 year (1,560 hours) of experience in a single eligible occupation within the last 3 years — up from 6 months. The hours can be accumulated; they no longer need to be continuous.

Potential downsides: Candidates who qualified under the old six-month threshold may no longer meet the one-year bar, and the experience has to be in a single occupation — spreading hours across roles can leave someone short. A profile that was category-eligible last year is worth re-checking rather than assumed.

Official source: IRCC — Category-based selection

B.C. PNP: fee rises to $1,750; 2025 nominations sharply reduced

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Provincial Nominee (PNP) applicants

Announced Jan 22, 2026 · In effect Jan 22, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

British Columbia's Skills Immigration application fee rose to CA$1,750 (from $1,475), effective Jan 22, 2026. B.C.'s 2025 federal nomination allocation was cut to about 4,000 (from roughly 8,000), and most general draws were paused for 2025.

Our analysis: British Columbia's provincial route got costlier and much narrower — the application fee rose to CA$1,750 and B.C.'s 2025 nomination room was cut to roughly half, with most general draws paused. A B.C. nomination is harder to count on this year than in past years.

Potential downsides: Fewer nominations and paused general draws mean many otherwise-qualified profiles will not receive an invitation this year, and the higher fee is spent with no refund if no nomination follows. Anyone whose plan hinges on a B.C. nomination is wise to hold a realistic backup, because the door is narrower than the eligibility criteria alone suggest.

Official source: WelcomeBC — Program news

Master's and PhD students at public universities exempt from PAL

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: International students

Announced Jan 1, 2026 · In effect Jan 1, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From Jan 1, 2026, students starting a master's or doctoral program at a public designated learning institution no longer need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with their study permit application.

Our analysis: Starting a master's or doctoral program at a public designated learning institution? You no longer need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) with your study permit application — one document and one bottleneck fewer.

Potential downsides: The exemption is narrow: it applies to master's and doctoral students at public institutions only. Undergraduate, college and most other applicants still need a PAL and stay inside the cap, and "public designated learning institution" is a specific status — assuming a program qualifies without checking can lead to a returned or refused application.

Official source: IRCC — Provincial attestation letter

Start-Up Visa paused to new applicants

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Entrepreneurs

Announced Jan 1, 2026 · In effect Jan 1, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

IRCC paused the Start-Up Visa Program from January 1, 2026: designated organizations’ commitment certificates are no longer accepted after December 31, 2025, and applicants who already hold a valid 2025 commitment certificate must submit their PR application by June 30, 2026. A new targeted entrepreneur pilot is expected later.

Our analysis: The Start-Up Visa is paused to new applicants from January 1, 2026 — designated organisations' commitment certificates are no longer accepted after December 31, 2025. Applicants who already hold a valid 2025 commitment certificate must file their PR application by June 30, 2026. A new targeted entrepreneur pilot is expected later.

Potential downsides: For anyone still assembling a Start-Up Visa application, the door to new intake is closed and the certificate deadline has passed — the pathway is not currently an option to build on. Waiting for the anticipated new pilot means waiting on details and dates that have not been published, which is hard to plan around.

Official source: IRCC — Immigration measures for entrepreneurs

Home Care Worker pilots paused — new intake closed

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Home care workers

Announced Dec 19, 2025 · In effect Dec 19, 2025 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

On December 19, 2025, IRCC paused new application intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots (the child-care and home-support streams) until further notice; the pilots did not reopen as expected in 2026. Applications already received continue to be processed.

Our analysis: On December 19, 2025, IRCC paused new intake for the Home Care Worker Immigration pilots (child-care and home-support streams) until further notice, and they did not reopen as expected in 2026. Applications already received continue to be processed.

Potential downsides: Caregivers who were preparing to apply have no open pilot to enter right now, and "until further notice" gives no reopening date to count on. Relying on a paused program — rather than looking at work-permit or other routes in the meantime — risks a long, open-ended wait.

Official source: IRCC — Pausing Home Care Worker pilots intake

2026 international student cap set: 309,670 application spaces

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: International students

Announced Nov 25, 2025 · In effect Jan 1, 2026 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

For 2026, IRCC will accept up to 309,670 study-permit applications into processing (an intake cap, not approvals) and expects to issue up to about 408,000 study permits — roughly 7% fewer than 2025. Most undergraduate and college applicants still need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

Our analysis: For 2026, Canada will accept up to 309,670 study-permit applications into processing (an intake cap, not a number of approvals) and expects to issue up to about 408,000 study permits — roughly 7% fewer than 2025. Most undergraduate and college applicants still need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

Potential downsides: Because it is an intake cap split into provincial allotments, applying later in the year — or to a province whose share fills quickly — can mean an application is not accepted into processing at all, regardless of how strong it is. The 309,670 figure is applications accepted, not permits granted, so the real room for approval is narrower again.

Official source: IRCC — 2026 student cap allocations

PGWP field-of-study list expanded to 920 eligible fields

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: Graduates (post-graduation work permit), International students

Announced Jun 25, 2025 · In effect Jun 25, 2025 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

On Jun 25, 2025, IRCC added 119 fields of study (in health, social services, education and trades) to the list that satisfies the PGWP field-of-study requirement, bringing the total to 920. No fields will be added or removed for 2026.

Our analysis: The list of study fields that satisfy the post-graduation work permit requirement grew to 920 (119 fields added in health, social services, education and trades). More college and diploma programs can now lead to a PGWP — and the list is set to hold steady, with no fields added or removed for 2026.

Potential downsides: The field-of-study requirement applies to college and diploma graduates, and a field being on the list today is not permanent — the list has changed before. Choosing a program because it is currently eligible, without confirming it against the live list at application time, still carries the risk that the endgame does not hold.

Official source: IRCC — Eligible fields of study

Express Entry no longer awards CRS points for a job offer

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Express Entry candidates, Foreign workers

Announced Mar 25, 2025 · In effect Mar 25, 2025 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

As of Mar 25, 2025, a valid job offer (including LMIA-backed offers) no longer adds CRS points — previously 50 or 200 points. A job offer can still matter for program eligibility, but it will not raise your ranking score.

Our analysis: A job offer no longer raises your Express Entry ranking score — the 50 or 200 CRS points a valid (including LMIA-backed) offer used to add are gone. A job offer can still matter for program eligibility, but it will not lift your rank.

Potential downsides: Anyone who paid for, or built a plan around, an LMIA specifically for the points has lost that leverage, and a score that looked competitive with the old points may now fall short of recent cut-offs. Rebuilding a score through language, education or a provincial nomination takes time that a person close to a permit deadline may not have.

Official source: IRCC — CRS criteria

Super Visa: medical insurance can now come from outside Canada

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: Parents & grandparents

Announced Jan 28, 2025 · In effect Jan 28, 2025 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From Jan 28, 2025, the mandatory 1-year private medical insurance for a parent/grandparent Super Visa may be bought from an insurer outside Canada (authorized under the Insurance Companies Act), not only Canadian insurers.

Our analysis: For a parent or grandparent Super Visa, the required one year of private medical insurance can now be bought from an insurer outside Canada (one authorised under the Insurance Companies Act), not only from a Canadian insurer — often widening the options and the price range.

Potential downsides: Not every foreign insurer qualifies — the policy still has to meet the coverage minimums and the authorisation requirement, and a policy that falls short can lead to a refusal at the visa stage. With more policies to choose from, comparing them on their fine print, not just their price, matters more.

Official source: IRCC — Super Visa insurance change

Spouse open work permits restricted to higher-skilled workers' families

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Spouses (open work permit)

Announced Jan 21, 2025 · In effect Jan 21, 2025 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

Since Jan 21, 2025, a spousal open work permit is generally limited to spouses of workers in TEER 0/1 occupations (or select priority sectors), where the principal worker has enough time left on their permit. Spouses of most students and lower-skilled workers no longer qualify.

Our analysis: A spousal open work permit is now generally limited to spouses of workers in higher-skilled (TEER 0 or 1) occupations, or select priority sectors, where the principal worker has enough time left on their permit. Spouses of most students and lower-skilled workers no longer qualify.

Potential downsides: Families that moved, or planned to move, on the assumption that a spouse could work may find the second income is no longer available, changing the household budget. The principal worker's occupation and remaining permit time now decide the spouse's eligibility, so a change in either can quietly remove it.

Official source: IRCC — Changes to family open work permits

Students can work 24 hours per week off campus

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: International students

Announced Nov 15, 2024 · In effect Nov 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

From November 2024, eligible study permit holders may work up to 24 hours per week off campus during academic sessions (up from 20), and full-time during scheduled breaks.

Our analysis: During class sessions, eligible study permit holders can now work up to 24 hours per week off campus (up from 20), and full-time during scheduled breaks — a bit more room to offset living costs.

Potential downsides: The cap is still a hard limit tied to your permit conditions: working beyond the hours you are allowed can put your study permit — and future applications — at risk. "Eligible" also excludes some students (for example those not actively studying), so the higher number does not apply to everyone.

Official source: IRCC — Work off campus

New PGWP rules: language test and field-of-study requirements

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Graduates (post-graduation work permit), International students

Announced Nov 1, 2024 · In effect Nov 1, 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

For study permit applications on/after Nov 1, 2024, PGWP applicants must meet a language minimum (CLB 7 for university grads, CLB 5 for college grads). College and diploma grads must also study in an eligible field; bachelor's, master's and doctoral grads are exempt from the field requirement.

Our analysis: For study permit applications on or after Nov 1, 2024, a post-graduation work permit needs a language result (CLB 7 for university grads, CLB 5 for college grads). College and diploma grads must also study in an eligible field; bachelor's, master's and doctoral grads are exempt from the field rule.

Potential downsides: A graduate who does not reach the language minimum can finish a Canadian program and still not qualify for a PGWP — a costly outcome to discover late. For college and diploma students, program choice now carries a work-permit consequence, so a field that looked fine can turn out not to count.

Official source: IRCC — PGWP eligibility

Canada cuts permanent-resident targets (2025–2027 plan)

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: Permanent-residence applicants, Provincial Nominee (PNP) applicants, Express Entry candidates

Announced Oct 24, 2024 · In effect Oct 24, 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: Superseded

On Oct 24, 2024, Canada lowered PR admission targets to 395,000 (2025), 380,000 (2026) and 365,000 (2027), roughly halved the Provincial Nominee allocation for 2025, and set temporary-resident targets for the first time.

Our analysis: This is the plan that lowered permanent-resident targets and roughly halved the 2025 Provincial Nominee allocation. It has since been replaced by the newer 2026–2028 plan, which adjusted some numbers — we keep older plans on the page, marked superseded, so an out-of-date figure is easy to spot rather than mistaken for the current one.

Potential downsides: Lower targets and a smaller Provincial Nominee allocation mean higher competition and cut-offs while a plan is in force. The bigger risk now is anchoring on this superseded plan's exact numbers: they no longer describe the current targets, and a strategy built on them would be built on last year's rules.

Replaced by: the newer 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan

Official source: IRCC — 2025–2027 Levels Plan

PGWP: at least 50% of your program must be in class in Canada

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Graduates (post-graduation work permit), International students

Announced Sep 1, 2024 · In effect Sep 1, 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

For study programs with a lock-in date after August 31, 2024, time studied online from outside Canada no longer counts toward a Post-Graduation Work Permit — at least 50% of the program must be completed in class in Canada, and time studied abroad is deducted from the PGWP length.

Our analysis: For programs with a lock-in date after August 31, 2024, time studied online from outside Canada no longer counts toward a post-graduation work permit — at least 50% of the program must be completed in class in Canada, and time studied abroad is deducted from the PGWP length.

Potential downsides: Online or overseas study taken for convenience can quietly shorten a PGWP, or push a program below the 50% in-Canada threshold and void it — often discovered only at the work-permit stage, when it is too late to redo the study. A study plan that mixes in a lot of remote learning deserves a careful look against this rule up front.

Official source: IRCC — PGWP: Who can apply

Visitors can no longer apply for a work permit from inside Canada

Relevance: Check your plan · Who this affects: Visitors changing status, Foreign workers

Announced Aug 28, 2024 · In effect Aug 28, 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

Before: a COVID-era temporary policy (in place from 2020) let visitors already in Canada apply for an employer-specific work permit from inside the country. On August 28, 2024, IRCC ended that policy early (it had been set to run to February 2025). Now: switching from visitor to worker generally requires applying from outside Canada — applications filed before the cut-off are still processed. This limit is still in force.

Our analysis: A COVID-era policy that let visitors already in Canada apply for an employer-specific work permit from inside the country ended on August 28, 2024 (earlier than its planned February 2025 end). Switching from visitor to worker now generally means applying from outside Canada; applications filed before the cut-off are still processed. This limit is still in force.

Potential downsides: Anyone who came as a visitor intending to switch to a work permit inside Canada may now have to leave and apply from abroad, adding cost, travel and a gap with no work authorisation. Plans made on the old in-Canada route need rethinking, because the timing of an exit and re-entry can be the hardest part.

Official source: IRCC — Ends temporary visitor-to-work-permit policy

International student cap and Provincial Attestation Letter introduced

Relevance: Worth watching · Who this affects: International students

Announced Jan 22, 2024 · In effect Jan 22, 2024 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: In force

On Jan 22, 2024, Canada capped new study permits and began requiring most college and undergraduate applicants to include a Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL). The cap and PAL regime continue in 2026 (with master's/PhD now exempt).

Our analysis: This is where the study-permit cap and the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL/TAL) began — most college and undergraduate applicants have needed a PAL since Jan 22, 2024. The cap and PAL regime still run in 2026 (with master's and PhD students now exempt).

Potential downsides: Because provinces receive a limited allotment of attestation letters, timing and institution choice can matter as much as eligibility — a qualified applicant can still be blocked simply because a province's allotment is used up. Applying later in the year, or to an oversubscribed province, raises that risk.

Official source: IRCC — Provincial attestation letter

Canada holds its first-ever STEM Express Entry draw

Relevance: Good to know · Who this affects: Express Entry candidates

Announced Jun 28, 2023 · In effect Jun 28, 2023 · Verified Jun 2026 · Status: Historical

On Jun 28, 2023, IRCC ran the first category-based Express Entry draw for candidates with STEM work experience. STEM stayed a draw priority through 2024, before category focus shifted in 2025–2026.

Our analysis: A milestone for context: on Jun 28, 2023, Canada held its first category-based Express Entry draw — for candidates with STEM work experience. STEM stayed a priority through 2024 before the category focus moved on.

Potential downsides: This is a historical marker, not a current rule: STEM is no longer the priority it was in 2023–2024. Reading old STEM-draw coverage as if it still describes today's categories is exactly the kind of outdated anchor that leads to a plan built on last year's rules.

Official source: IRCC — First STEM draw (2023)