IRCC Releases New Work Permit Rules for Worker Families Aug 2026

If your spouse works in Canada, the rules for your own work permit just got a significant rewrite.

On August 11, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated its program delivery instructions for the family members of foreign workers under the International Mobility Program (IMP). These are the internal policies and procedures that IRCC officers use when they decide your application, and they are posted on the department's website as a courtesy to stakeholders like you.

The changes touch four sets of administrative codes: C41 (including the instructions related to the measure implemented on January 21, 2026), C41/C46, C47/C48, and C49. All of them fall under work designated by the Minister as per subparagraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Some instructions were removed. Many new ones were added. And an entirely new set of instructions now exists.

Here is exactly what changed, and what it means for your family.

What Actually Changed on August 11, 2026?

Think of this update as a major reorganization plus an expansion. IRCC did two things at once.

First, it removed the instructions found under "Applications received as a family group" from the program delivery instructions (PDIs) for all of the affected categories. Those instructions did not disappear, they moved. They can now be found in a brand-new set of instructions titled Work permit options for family members of foreign workers.

Second, it added new guidance across the C41, C46, C47, C48 and C49 categories. The additions cover free trade agreement workers, self-employed workers, open work permits issued under temporary public policies, renewals, and refusals.

The takeaway: if you applied as a family group before, the rules officers follow now live in a different place. The substance of your application matters more than ever.

Which Work Permit Categories Does This Affect?

The update covers the family-member open work permit categories under the IMP's "Canadian interest" stream. Here is the full map:

If your family's open work permit falls under any of these codes, the officer processing your file is now working from updated instructions. So what exactly is new inside each one? That depends on your category.

What's New for Spouses Under Code C41?

The C41 instructions received four brand-new topics:

1. Spouses of workers under a free trade agreement (FTA)
2. Spouses of workers who hold an open work permit that was issued under a temporary public policy
3. Applications where the principal foreign national is self-employed on an open work permit
4. Renewals

These are the instructions tied to the measure implemented on January 21, 2026, the measure that narrowed spousal open work permit eligibility to partners of workers in TEER 0 or 1 occupations, or in select TEER 2 or 3 occupations. The August 11 update fills in the gaps that measure left open.

The takeaway: if your spouse's work situation is unusual, an FTA worker, a temporary public policy permit, or self-employment, there is now specific written guidance for your case.

What's New for Families of High-Skilled Workers (C41/C46)?

The instructions for Family members of foreign nationals authorized to work in high-skilled occupations (TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3), codes C41 and C46, received the largest set of additions.

Under Eligibility, two new pieces of guidance were added:

• Family members of workers who are transitioning to permanent residence, new instructions for this situation.
• A clarification on free trade agreements: for applicants of workers under an FTA, the principal foreign national cannot hold a spousal open work permit or be eligible for a spousal open work permit under an international Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Under Documentary evidence, a new section was added titled "Principal foreign national is self-employed on an open work permit."

And two new renewal sections were added, complete with scenarios:

• "Renewal of open work permits for family members of workers who are transitioning to permanent residence"
• "Renewals (Facilitation measure)"

That last point matters more than it might look. When IRCC adds written scenarios to its instructions, it is telling officers exactly how to handle real cases, which usually means more consistent decisions for families like yours.

What's New for Families of Low-Skilled Workers (C47/C48)?

The instructions for Family members of foreign nationals authorized to work in low-skilled occupations (TEER 4 or 5), codes C47 and C48, received parallel updates under Eligibility:

• Family members of workers who are transitioning to permanent residence
• The same FTA clarification: the principal foreign national cannot hold a spousal open work permit, or be eligible for one, under an international Free Trade Agreement.

Two new sections were also added:

• "Renewals of open work permits for family members of workers who are transitioning to permanent residence"
• "Renewals (Facilitation measure)"

Consider a realistic case. Imagine Maria, whose husband works in a TEER 4 occupation in Canada. He has just become a permanent residence applicant, and her C48 open work permit is coming up for renewal after the January 21, 2026 measure reshaped the family permit rules. Before August 11, 2026, an officer reviewing her renewal had no dedicated written section for her situation. Now there are two, one specifically for families of workers transitioning to permanent residence, and one covering the facilitation measure. Her file is no longer a grey area.

The takeaway: if the worker in your family is in a TEER 4 or 5 job and is moving toward permanent residence, your renewal now has its own rulebook.

What's New for Families of Economic Class PR Applicants (C49)?

The instructions for Family members of work permit holders who are Economic Class permanent resident applicants, code C49, gained two new sections:

• Refusals
• Renewals

Short list. Big deal. A written "Refusals" section means officers now have explicit guidance on when and why to refuse, which also tells you, in advance, where the landmines are. And a dedicated "Renewals" section means your extension is no longer processed by improvisation.

There is one more change that ties all of this together.

Where Do You Find Everything Now?

IRCC also updated its navigation pages so officers and applicants can actually locate the new guidance.

In the Open work permit – General processing and issuance – International Mobility Program (IMP) instructions, links to 3 PDIs were added under Family members of temporary foreign workers who are transitioning to permanent residence or who are permanent residence applicants.

The index page Temporary workers and the Functional guidance on temporary residents: Table of contents were both updated to include the new instructions on work permit options for family members of foreign workers.

New instructions

• Work permit options for family members of foreign workers

Updated instructions

• Family members of foreign nationals authorized to work in high-skilled occupations (TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3) [R205(c)(ii) – C41 and C46] – Canadian interest – International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Family members of foreign nationals authorized to work in low-skilled occupations (TEER 4 or 5) [R205(c)(ii) – C47 and C48] – Canadian interest – International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Family members of work permit holders who are Economic Class permanent resident applicants [R205(c)(ii) – C49] – Canadian interests – International Mobility Program
• Spouses or common-law partners of foreign nationals authorized to work in high-skilled occupations (TEER 0 or 1), or in select occupations (TEER 2 or 3) – [R205(c)(ii) – C41] – Canadian interest – International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Open work permit – General processing and issuance – International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Functional guidance on temporary residents: Table of contents
• Temporary workers (landing page)
• Overview of work designated by the Minister [R205(c)(ii) – C16, C41, C42, C43, C44, C45, C46, C47, C48, C49, C52, C88] – Canadian interest – International Mobility Program (IMP)

The takeaway: bookmark the new "Work permit options for family members of foreign workers" page. That is now the starting point for family applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

These updates are technical, but their impact is personal. If your family's work permit depends on codes C41 through C49, the instructions officers use to judge your file changed on August 11, 2026, and the new "Work permit options for family members of foreign workers" page is where your next application begins.

Sources: Government of Canada (canada.ca), IRCC Help Centre. Last verified: August 11, 2026. This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult IRCC or a qualified legal aid service for guidance on your specific situation.

About Author

I2C

See author's posts