Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has updated the instructions for the Family Information Form, known as IMM 5707. According to the official update dated May 12, 2026, this form is no longer considered a mandatory document when initially applying for certain work permits from within Canada.
IRCC explained that some pages previously incorrectly listed IMM 5707 as a required document for such applications. These instructions have now been corrected: the form remains an optional additional requirement, but its absence should not automatically result in the refusal or rejection of an application if it was not submitted immediately.
Who is affected by the update
The update primarily concerns two categories. The first is the optional open work permit for applicants under the permanent residence pathway for Hong Kong residents. The second is open work permits for foreign nationals with a support letter from Manitoba, Alberta, or Yukon. IRCC specifically identified these two guidelines as updated in its program delivery update.
Hong Kong pathway
For applicants under the Hong Kong pathway, IRCC now explicitly states that IMM 5707 is an optional document. If an officer needs this form to assess the case, it may be requested at a later stage. At the same time, the guidelines themselves state that an application should not be refused solely due to the absence of IMM 5707. The policy for this category is in effect from May 27, 2024, to May 27, 2029.
Manitoba, Alberta, and Yukon support letter public policy
A separate clarification has also been made for applicants with a support letter from Manitoba, Alberta, or Yukon. In these instructions, IRCC has also moved IMM 5707 to optional documents and explicitly stated: the document is not required upfront, but an officer may request it later if it helps assess the application. The absence of IMM 5707 should not be grounds for refusal.
At the same time, it is important to understand that the temporary program for applicants with a support letter from Manitoba, Alberta, or Yukon has already ended. IRCC notes that this public policy expired on December 31, 2025, and after this date, new applications will no longer be accepted and extensions under these measures will not be available. Therefore, in practice, this update is primarily important for applications that have already been submitted and are under review.
What this means for applicants
Overall, the change does not mean that the IMM 5707 form has been completely removed from the process. It may still be required in certain cases, such as to clarify family information or verify the applicant’s details. However, the key clarification from IRCC is that the absence of this form during the initial submission should not automatically harm the application.
For applicants, this means you should carefully check the personal document checklist in your IRCC account and monitor notifications from the officer. If IRCC later sends an additional document request and asks for IMM 5707, the form must be submitted by the deadline. You should not ignore such requests, even if the document is now marked as optional.
Thus, IRCC has effectively corrected a technical inaccuracy in its instructions and reduced the risk that applicants for certain work permits from within Canada will encounter issues simply because they did not include the IMM 5707 form at the start of the application process.