🇨🇦 Work & skilled workers

What changed

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) will close the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) Programme. This programme will end on 1 December 2026. Now, all people who enter Canada through remote areas of northern Ontario or from the Northwest Angle into southern Manitoba must report to the CBSA. They must report at a port of entry or a special telephone reporting site. Before this change, RABC permits let people enter without directly reporting. Now, reporting by phone or at a physical port of entry is mandatory. To help with this change, all current RABC permits are now valid until 11:59 p.m. on 30 November 2026.

What changed

Canada now lets all eligible adult Canadians renew their passport online. They can send their application, photo, and payment through the internet. This makes the process simpler. It means fewer people need to visit offices in person. It helps those who find it hard to go to a service centre.

What changed

Canada plans new rules to make its asylum process better and faster. Key changes include a 60-day deadline to hand in a full asylum application. You can get a 30-day extra time if needed. The rules also set times for government security checks. These checks happen before claims go to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). New rules explain what happens when someone takes back their claim. They also say how to support people who need help, like through special representatives. People who qualify for work permits will get them faster. There will also be exceptions to new rules that say some people cannot claim asylum. These exceptions are for children travelling alone and for some people who show they want asylum early.

What changed

Canada started a new rule for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). This rule applies to people from other countries who travel by sea from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon to Canada. This helps Canada check travellers before they arrive. It helps find people who are not honest about their travel. It also protects Canada's immigration and asylum systems. French citizens who live in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon do not need an eTA if they go straight to Newfoundland and Labrador. People on cruise ships do not need one either, because they are already checked. This change might affect up to 1,000 people from other countries each year. Canada announced this change on 4 June 2026.

What changed

Canada will start a new rule on 1 April 2026. This rule is a "30 days or free" promise for passport and travel document processing. If it takes more than 30 business days to process a complete application, applicants will get all their money back. This refund will happen automatically. This rule applies to most passport applications. It aims to make the process more reliable and fair.

What changed

Canada has extended certain work permit rules for Ukrainian people and their family members. These people arrived under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) or other related rules. Eligible people now have until 31 March 2027, to apply. This application is to extend their work permits for up to three more years. To qualify, applicants must have arrived in Canada on or before 31 March 2024. CUAET holders who had delayed decisions may still qualify if they were allowed to arrive by 31 December 2024. These rules took effect on 31 March 2026. They apply to people who hold CUAET work permits.

What changed

Canada will invest about $1.5 million in three projects. These projects are part of the Francophone Immigration Support Program. Canada will also provide up to $575,000 over three years to Université de l’Ontario français. These funds were announced on 20 March 2026. The money will help more French-speaking people work in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. It will also attract and keep French-speaking talent in Northern Ontario. It will tell French-speaking candidates about jobs and other chances outside Quebec. The funds will also help create a short training course on managing immigration for French-speaking people. This new investment builds on past efforts. These include a C$1.3 million investment with Manitoba to increase its French-speaking population. It also includes the longer timeline for the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot.

What changed

Canada started a new temporary immigration rule. It helps workers and employers in Quebec. This rule begins 13 March 2026. It allows eligible skilled workers in Quebec to get a new work permit. This permit is for a specific employer. It can last for up to 12 more months. These workers must have received an invitation from Quebec to apply for a permanent selection (called a Demande de Selection Permanente or DSP). Their current work permits must be for a specific employer. These permits must expire between 13 March 2026, and 31 December 2026. The goal is to give the Government of Quebec time. They need time to check if workers can get a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ). This is needed before workers apply for permanent residence. Workers can apply on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)'s website. They must apply by 31 December 2026. Applications will be processed quickly.

What changed

Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced important changes to its Express Entry system for 2026. These changes add new categories and build on existing ones. Starting 1 January 2026, IRCC will still invite people who have strong French skills. It will also invite people with work experience in healthcare, social services, trades, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs. New categories are added for researchers and senior managers who have Canadian work experience. New categories are also for people in transport jobs, including pilots, aircraft mechanics, and inspectors. Skilled military recruits with a job offer from the Canadian Armed Forces will also have a new category. This includes doctors, nurses, and pilots. A special category for foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience will also start in 2026. This category was announced in December 2025. It makes it clearer for these skilled professionals to get permanent residence.

What changed

Canada has released its Immigration Levels Plan for 2026-2028. This plan keeps the total number of people allowed to become permanent residents stable at 380,000 each year for 2026, 2027, and 2028. At the same time, the plan sets new goals for how many temporary residents can arrive. It aims for 385,000 new temporary residents in 2026, then 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. The plan also states a goal to make sure that temporary residents are less than 5% of Canada's total population by the end of 2027. The plan greatly increases the goal for French-speaking people who want to become permanent residents outside Quebec. This goal is 10.5% by 2028, and aims for 12% by 2029. In addition, there are special, one-time programmes to help certain people become permanent residents faster. These programmes are for about 115,000 Protected Persons and up to 33,000 temporary workers. These programmes will run in 2026-2027 and are separate from the main permanent resident goals.