Canada has expanded — not eliminated — its Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemptions in 2026, prioritizing several LMIA-exempt pathways for skilled workers under the International Mobility Program. This isn’t a blanket removal of LMIA for all skilled workers; it’s a set of specific category expansions alongside tighter scrutiny on eligibility.
Key 2026 changes include: an extension of the Innovation stream (LMIA-exempt work permits for high-skilled TEER 0–3 occupations tied to employers in the Global Hypergrowth Project) through March 2028, an increased overall target of 170,000 new entrants through LMIA-exempt IMP pathways (compared to roughly 60,000 spots under the traditional LMIA-based Temporary Foreign Worker Program), and expanded options for French-speaking or bilingual workers outside Quebec.
- Clarify which specific occupations/NOC codes qualify (this varies by exemption category — C-codes, T-codes, etc.)
- Note that eligibility now comes with increased scrutiny, not looser rules
- A source citation and the effective dates of each specific change
- How Al-Mojal International can help identify which pathway (if any) fits a given applicant
Immigration policy changes frequently — verify current requirements against IRCC’s official site before publishing or advising candidates.