Maple News reports that Canada’s immigration department has clarified the rules around special work permits for permanent residence applicants under the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP).
Under the update, foreign nationals who have submitted a complete application for permanent residence under FCIP or RCIP may be eligible for a work permit valid for up to two years.
To qualify, applicants must have an eligible job offer and their permanent residence application must have passed the completeness check. Work permits issued under this pathway are exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) requirement.
Family members included in the PR application may also be eligible for LMIA-exempt work permits.
IRCC published updated instructions for officers on its website on February 24, 2026. The instructions specify that officers should consider a set of evidence when processing the work permit application, including: the acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) for the PR application; the applicant’s recommendation from the relevant designated economic development organization; an LMIA-exempt offer of employment submitted through IRCC’s Employer Portal; and evidence that the applicant is qualified for the job.
The employment offer details should match the information provided in the permanent residence application. The instructions also clarify that the community recommendation form submitted with the PR application (IMM 0247 or IMM 0251), which is typically valid for six months, need not be valid at the time of the work permit application, as long as it has not been revoked.
This update offers a clearer pathway for RCIP and FCIP applicants seeking work authorization during PR processing and aligns with broader efforts to support rural and Francophone communities in Canada.