Unofficial Vote: Alberta Says Yes to Controlling Immigration and Limiting Services for Temporary Residents

In Monday’s referendum, Alberta voters backed more provincial control over immigration and tighter rules for temporary residents, according to Elections Alberta’s unofficial count on Wednesday evening. The proposals cover who can use provincial health care, education, and social supports, and whether temporary residents should pay for health care and school. A person’s status, health coverage, […]

Express Entry Job Offers No Longer Need an LMIA From November 3

Job interview at a desk, used for the Express Entry job-offer story

Starting November 3, 2026, a job offer can count in Express Entry without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. IRCC says an LMIA will no longer be required for program eligibility or for Comprehensive Ranking System points. Holding one will not add points or move a profile ahead of others. The online system is not ready […]

Immigration Minister Says the Next Levels Plan Is Still Due in November

The flag of Canada

Immigration Minister Lena Diab says Canada’s immigration levels could rise, and that the next plan is still due in November. Speaking in Kitchener on October 16, Diab was asked how the government could consider higher immigration while housing remains difficult to afford. She pointed to the sharp slowdown in population growth. “We’ve taken a step […]

Other Countries

Earth seen from space

They are not Canadian programs. Amounts change. A figure from a brochure is not the law of that country. Some clients are also asking about a second country. Citizenship of another country does not give Canadian permanent residence. It can change which Canadian visa rules apply, because that follows the passport you travel on. It […]

Visitor

A mountain lake

A visitor comes for a temporary purpose: tourism, family, a short course, or business that does not enter the labour market. The usual stay at the border is up to six months. The officer can give less. A visitor does not work and does not study in a program longer than six months. Staying after […]

LMIA Requirements

A resume and a cup of coffee

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is Service Canada’s decision on one job. A positive result says the employer may hire a foreign worker for that job because the hire will be neutral or positive for the Canadian labour market. It is not a work permit. The worker still applies to IRCC, and IRCC can still […]

Close (LMIA-Based)

A worker on a factory line

In this menu, “closed” means the permit is tied to an employer. It does not mean every route below needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Each section says which it is. Read this before the list How we can help Canada’s Free Trade Agreements How we can help Temporary Work Permits in Quebec How we […]

Open (LMIA-Exempt)

A laptop on a desk

These permits do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and they are not tied to one employer. A few sections below are “no permit at all” when the person never enters the labour market. Those are not open work permits. Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) An open permit after an eligible program at a designated […]

Work Permit

Construction workers on a building

A work permit is permission to work in Canada for a limited time. It is not permanent residence, and it is not a visa. You may also need a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization to travel. Two cuts, and they are not the same The menu heading “Close (LMIA-Based)” gathers employer-specific routes. […]

Study Permit

A student reading in a library

A study permit lets an international student study at a designated learning institution for a program longer than six months. It is not a visa, and it is not a general permission to work. The school has to be designated. The student has to be accepted before they apply. Your options on this page How […]