IMM 0008: a November 2026 version of the paper form
IRCC's application forms and guides list now shows the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) with the version date 2026-11. The form's own page was updated on November 3, 2026, and the downloadable PDF is marked "Last updated: November 2026".
IMM 0008 is the main form in a paper application for permanent residence, used across family, economic, refugee and other categories. There are two versions: a digital one built into the Permanent Residence Portal, which most applicants complete online, and the PDF for paper applications. The instruction guide for each program says which version to use.
For paper applicants, IRCC's instructions are unchanged in substance: fill out the form on a computer, validate it so that the 2D barcodes are generated, and keep in mind that an application whose barcodes are missing or unreadable is returned unprocessed. If you are preparing a paper application now, download the form again from IRCC's page so that you submit the current version rather than a copy saved earlier.
IRCC's page also repeats a rule that matters for every PR applicant: you must declare and give details for all family members, including those not coming with you and those whose location is unknown, missing or presumed dead. A family member who is not declared cannot be sponsored later.
IRCC has not published a description of what changed in the new version, so we are not describing the changes in detail.
TRP holders: who can apply for PR in the permit holder class
A temporary resident permit (TRP) lets a person who is inadmissible, or who does not meet a requirement of the Act, enter or stay in Canada for a limited time. Some TRP holders can later apply for permanent residence in the permit holder class after living in Canada continuously on permits for three or five years, depending on the ground of inadmissibility.
On November 3, 2026, IRCC updated its program delivery instructions for this class. Beyond modernized language, the update makes one point explicit: a TRP issued because the person did not meet the requirements of the Act, rather than because of an inadmissibility, does not count toward the permit holder class under paragraph 65(b) of the Regulations. IRCC's examples are a missing valid passport or a missing temporary resident visa.
The rest of the instructions are as before. The applicant must hold a valid TRP at the time of application and throughout processing, must not have become inadmissible on any new ground, and must have resided continuously in Canada as a permit holder. Leaving Canada, or letting a TRP expire before applying for the next one, breaks continuity and restarts the clock. People inadmissible for security, human or international rights violations, serious criminality or organized crime are not eligible. Family members cannot be included in the application; each would need their own permit and their own application.