Late on 31 January 2026, IRCC updated its guidance to confirm the occupations that currently qualify for expedited review of employer-specific work-permit applications. The priority list covers critical roles in health care—such as registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and personal-support workers—as well as key agri-food positions, including butchers and farm supervisors.
Files that cite one of the listed National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes are automatically routed to specialised processing teams, significantly reducing wait times. According to internal benchmarks, 80 % of priority files are finalised within 10 business days, compared with the 60-day global service standard for most employer-specific permits.
The policy dovetails with Canada’s category-based Express Entry draws, many of which target the same NOC codes. IRCC officials have acknowledged that aligning temporary-entry and permanent-residence priorities helps funnel talent to sectors facing the greatest shortages while offering foreign workers a clearer transition path.
![IRCC publishes priority occupation list for accelerated work-permit reviews]()
Organisations navigating these changes may find it easier to outsource the procedural heavy lifting to VisaHQ. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) guides users through employer-specific work-permit requirements, verifies NOC codes and submits applications electronically, helping HR teams capitalise on the expedited streams.
For employers, the message is clear: matching job offers to eligible NOC codes and ensuring absolute consistency across all documentation can shave weeks off onboarding timelines. Immigration lawyers warn, however, that mis-coding roles to gain faster processing could lead to refusals or future compliance inspections.
With federal immigration levels flattening in 2026, analysts expect Ottawa to rely increasingly on such administrative tweaks—rather than higher quotas—to fine-tune labour-market outcomes.
Files that cite one of the listed National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes are automatically routed to specialised processing teams, significantly reducing wait times. According to internal benchmarks, 80 % of priority files are finalised within 10 business days, compared with the 60-day global service standard for most employer-specific permits.
The policy dovetails with Canada’s category-based Express Entry draws, many of which target the same NOC codes. IRCC officials have acknowledged that aligning temporary-entry and permanent-residence priorities helps funnel talent to sectors facing the greatest shortages while offering foreign workers a clearer transition path.
Organisations navigating these changes may find it easier to outsource the procedural heavy lifting to VisaHQ. The company’s Canadian portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) guides users through employer-specific work-permit requirements, verifies NOC codes and submits applications electronically, helping HR teams capitalise on the expedited streams.
For employers, the message is clear: matching job offers to eligible NOC codes and ensuring absolute consistency across all documentation can shave weeks off onboarding timelines. Immigration lawyers warn, however, that mis-coding roles to gain faster processing could lead to refusals or future compliance inspections.
With federal immigration levels flattening in 2026, analysts expect Ottawa to rely increasingly on such administrative tweaks—rather than higher quotas—to fine-tune labour-market outcomes.
