Canada extends concurrent processing to 90 days for TFWP work permit applicants
On August 21, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its officer guidance to extend the concurrent processing window for in-Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) work permit applications from 60 days to 90 days. That gives applicants an extra 30 days to upload proof of a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) while their employer’s LMIA is still pending with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
Concurrent processing lets a foreign national in Canada submit a TFWP work permit application before the employer’s LMIA decision is finalized. If the worker applied before their current permit expired, they benefit from maintained status and can continue working under their existing permit conditions while IRCC holds the application and waits for the LMIA.
Who this helps
– Foreign nationals in Canada who rely on employer-specific TFWP permits and whose employers have an LMIA application in progress.
– Employers using the TFWP who need to retain or hire a foreign worker while an LMIA is being processed.
Conditions that still apply
A work permit application may be placed on hold under concurrent processing only when all of the following are true:
– The applicant’s current work permit is due to expire in two weeks or less.
– The employer has already submitted a complete LMIA application to ESDC.
– The LMIA decision has not yet been made.
– The LMIA was submitted with realistic lead time such that a decision could reasonably have been expected.
Practical impact
– Workers with permits expiring soon can file and have up to 90 days to supply the employer’s positive or neutral LMIA, reducing the risk of losing authorization while waiting for ESDC.
– Employers can keep a valued hire working under maintained status while LMIA delays are resolved.
– The extension helps avoid situations where a positive LMIA is issued but the named worker has already lost authorization or left Canada.
What applicants and employers should do
– File the TFWP application within the two-week-or-less expiry window to preserve maintained status.
– Ensure the employer’s LMIA submission is complete before the worker applies.
– Keep records proving the LMIA was filed and be ready to upload the positive or neutral LMIA within the 90-day hold.
– Communicate closely between employer, employee, and any representative to meet the required timing.
This is an operational change to the hold period only; it does not alter TFWP eligibility rules. A positive or neutral LMIA remains required for a TFWP work permit decision.
For personalized support with your Canadian immigration pathway, contact GTR Immigration. Call us: +91-8810-686-447
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