In May 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued updated officer guidance for the Professionals stream of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) work permit, sharpening the rules on who can apply, what documentation must accompany an application, what kinds of contracts qualify, and how officers must assess whether a foreign employer is genuinely operating in its home country; the most attention-grabbing change is the expansion of the applicant pool — beyond citizens of World Trade Organization (WTO) member nations and permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand, permanent residents of Armenia and Switzerland are now eligible, broadening the reach of this LMIA-exempt short-term work permit pathway, which sits in Canada's International Mobility Program (IMP) under exemption code T33. At the same time, the new guidance splits eligible occupations into two formal groups with distinct contract requirements, explicitly disqualifies contracts signed through personnel placement or supply agencies, and uses far more direct language to require that the foreign service provider be a real, functioning business in its home country — meaning that if the foreign employer has a Canadian subsidiary, branch or affiliated entity, the contract will no longer qualify under GATS. Despite the wider tightening and clarification, the program's core rules — the 90-day cap within a 12-month window, the sectoral exclusions covering education, health-related, recreational, cultural and sports services, and the educational, licensing and professional-recognition requirements — remain unchanged, leaving the GATS Professionals pathway as one of the fastest legal routes for short-term cross-border service delivery into Canada.

Manitoba’s three communities participating in Canada’s federal Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP)—Altona/Rhineland, Brandon, and Steinbach—have released their 2026 priority sectors and 25-occupation lists, with notable overlap across sectors and roles. RCIP is an employer-driven permanent residence pathway requiring candidates to secure a qualifying job offer from a community-designated employer and meet eligibility criteria for work experience, education, language, and settlement funds. Officials also indicate that candidates may still be considered with job offers outside a community’s priority occupation list, depending on local priorities and the demonstrated benefit to the community.

Statistics Canada has launched a large-scale hiring campaign for the 2026 Census of Population, bringing on roughly 32,000 workers across Canada. Eligible applicants include work permit holders who meet residency and age requirements. The main openings are for enumerators and crew leaders, paid hourly with certain reimbursable expenses. For those planning to pursue permanent residence through Express Entry, some positions may provide supplemental Canadian work experience—but whether hours count toward the Canadian Experience Class depends on the role’s TEER level, NOC classification, and how closely actual duties align with NOC requirements.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced significant revisions to the "Maintained Status" provisions for temporary residents, effective May 28, 2025. The new rules specify that if a temporary resident's initial extension application, submitted while on maintained status, is refused, a subsequent application filed after the expiry of their original permit will no longer automatically allow them to maintain legal status in Canada. This change has profound implications for temporary residents submitting multiple extension applications and requires close attention.