What changed on October 28
IRCC revised its instructions on the review of labour market impact assessments (LMIAs) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on October 28, 2026. The update says officers no longer make decisions on applications that are eligible for concurrent processing until a final decision has been made on the LMIA. It also adds a description of the LMIA statuses that officers can see in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).
In August 2026 the same instructions gave applicants a fixed window: an eligible application was held for 90 days (previously 60) for the applicant to provide the positive LMIA, after which a final determination was made. That time limit is gone. The current page says applications will be held by IRCC until there is a decision on the LMIA, and only then is a final determination made on the work permit. Our August article describes the earlier rule.
Who qualifies for concurrent processing
The eligibility conditions have not changed. Concurrent processing is an exception for applicants inside Canada under section R199 of the regulations, meant to stop people from falling out of status while the employer's LMIA is pending. The applicant must show that:
- their current permit expires in two weeks or less;
- the employer has submitted a complete LMIA application (and a Quebec Acceptance Certificate application where Quebec requires one) with enough lead time, given the published processing times; and
- no decision has yet been made on the LMIA.
IRCC still warns that an employer should not file an LMIA immediately before the work permit application and expect the application to be held. Such requests are assessed on an exceptional basis.
The LMIA statuses officers see
The instructions now describe six statuses: positive (the LMIA was approved and the officer goes on to assess the job offer), negative (not approved), revoked (withdrawn on public-policy grounds), suspended (its effect is paused, with separate instructions), closed (the LMIA application was not processed because Service Canada closed it or the employer cancelled it) and pending (no decision yet). For a concurrent-processing application, "pending" means the work permit application waits.
How to flag your application
IRCC's public how-to-apply page for work permit extensions (last updated October 14, 2026) still says: if you apply before you have the LMIA or CAQ, type the code CPTS2026 in the Job Title field of form IMM 5710, include proof of a valid job offer and proof that the employer applied for the LMIA (the online receipt confirmation, or a copy of a paper application sent to Service Canada or Quebec's ministry), and give the date, office, employer name and confirmation number in the "Details of intended work in Canada" section. The code is for tracking only. IRCC adds plainly that it will not make a decision on your application until it receives your LMIA or CAQ.
What to watch
For an applicant who meets the conditions, the change removes the risk of a refusal at day 90 simply because Service Canada had not yet decided. It does not shorten anything: your file waits as long as the LMIA takes. You keep maintained status while a properly filed extension application is pending, so apply before your permit expires and keep proof of the date it was received. If the LMIA comes back negative or the employer withdraws it, the work permit application will be decided on that basis.