Improvements to compensation and benefits for the Canadian Armed Forces

The Instructor Allowance applies to Regular Force members and Reserve Force members on Class “B” or “C” service who are posted, attach-posted, or on temporary duty to a designated unit (not as a student or candidate) and who report for duty at that unit. This includes both instructors and support staff. Members who meet these conditions receive a monthly allowance of $300, pro-rated if they are assigned for less than a full month.

In addition, a daily rate is available to members who are formally assigned to and responsible for delivering approved instruction or training. This allowance is not automatic; it applies only on days when the member actually provides instruction. There are two tiers:

• Tier 1 ($35/day) for instructing the Basic Military Officer Qualification (AIOX) or Basic Military Qualification (AINT) at CFLRS, provided the instructor holds the General Military Training Instructor Course (AHCS) qualification. 

• Tier 2 ($20/day) for instructing DP1 courses at designated units other than CFLRS.

No. The allowance does not apply to members who are posted, attach-posted, deployed, or tasked to instruct outside Canada, including those participating in instructor exchange programs abroad.

For the purposes of this allowance, DP1 refers to the initial phase of a member’s professional development in the CAF. This phase focuses on achieving occupational employability and consists of:

• Basic Military Qualification (BMQ) or Basic Military Officer Qualification (BMOQ)
• Environmental Qualification; and 
• Basic Occupational Qualification for the member’s trade. 

The exact courses vary by occupation and are listed in the general and occupational specifications maintained by Director Personnel Generation Requirements.

To be designated by the approving authority, a unit must be a dedicated school or training establishment whose primary function is the continual delivery of instruction or training to CAF members, specifically DP1 courses. The unit must maintain a high operational tempo in conducting DP1 training and have an establishment composed primarily of instructor and support positions that directly contribute to the delivery of training.

Units such as military colleges, language schools, operational training units, or any other units, formations or elements whose primary function is not the continual delivery of DP1 training do not fall within the scope of this benefit, even if they deliver DP1 instruction.

People who, for the first time, enroll or component transfer into a Regular Force non-commissioned member occupation that is deemed critical as of November 1, 2025, are eligible for the Critical Occupation Recruiting Allowance. Please note that occupations will be considered critical when the trained effective strength of the occupation falls below 76% of their maximum authorized strength. 

The CAF will continue to offer a recruitment allowance of $10,000 and $20,000 to semi-skilled and skilled applicants as an incentive for enrolment into certain understrength NCM occupations. Certain officer occupations will continue to be considered for a recruitment allowance of various values. This allowance is dependent on entry plans and the skills an applicant brings to the CAF.

This new measure is different from the existing Recruitment Allowance, where the occupation must only fall to 95% or lower of the maximum authorized strength. Critical occupations will be evaluated annually with a different set of criteria. 

The Critical Occupation Recruitment Allowance is intended to support the attraction of new talent in critical occupations and came into effect as of November 1, 2025. Members who enrolled before November 1, 2025, will not be eligible for this allowance. 

No. The implementation for the Critical Occupation Recruitment Allowance is November 1, 2025, and it will not be applied before that date.

The 2nd installment is contingent upon reaching trained status. To receive the 3rd instalment, eligible members must agree to complete an additional 36 months of continuous service. Failing to complete the additional 36 months of continuous service will result in partial repayment of the 3rd installment.

The new Mobility Allowance comes into effect on April 1, 2026, and replaces the Posting Allowance. Mobility Allowance will apply to members who are posted with a Change of Strength (COS) date of April 1, 2026, or later. The legacy Posting Allowance policy will remain active for the immediate future and will continue to apply to members who were posted with a COS date prior to April 1, 2026, but who have not completed their move of dependents.

Regular Force members who are posted with a COS date of April 1, 2026, or later are eligible to receive the Mobility Allowance when they complete a posting relocation that does not prohibit the move of their household goods and effects (HG&E). Unlike the Posting Allowance, the Mobility Allowance does not require a member to have achieved “trained status” and therefore recently enrolled CAF members who are posted and authorized to move their HG&E before completing their initial occupational training (e.g. members on extended training or being “pre-positioned”) will be eligible to receive the allowance. 

All qualifying moves made before April 1, 2026, will be counted toward the total number of moves, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the policy. Members will be required to attest to the number of qualifying moves they have had prior to April 1, 2026. A new form (DND 6129) is being created for the purposes of making that attestation and should be available through the Defence Forms Catalogue in early 2026.

The amount of Mobility Allowance each member of a service couple will receive depends on the unique and specific conditions involving each member’s posting.

When a service couple moves together from one location to another, each member will receive 50% of the allowance they would receive if they were posted alone. There is a special provision added to the policy that addresses cases where one member is entitled to a higher tier level than the other.

Other service couple scenarios are addressed in the policy, such as being posted apart or being reunited by posting.

No. Like the Posting Allowance, the new Mobility Allowance is for Regular Force members only. Reservists will continue to receive a $2,000 Reserve Relocation Allowance when they are authorized to relocate at public expense after they have applied for and accepted a period of full-time Reserve Force service at a different place of duty. A Reserve Force member who transfers to the Regular Force may not count any Reserve Force moves toward their total number of qualifying moves.

The changes to the environmental allowance policy are driven by the need to ensure that CAF members who are exposed to harsh environmental conditions are appropriately compensated. It is important to remember that allowances are not considered pay; rather, they are specifically intended to compensate members whose duties require them to operate in challenging environmental conditions. The following monthly allowances will cease on March 31, 2026:

• Paratroop Allowance
• Dive Allowance
• Land Duty Allowance (LDA)
• Sea Duty Allowance (SDA)
• Submarine Allowance

Effective April 1, 2026 these allowances will be paid per day (24 continuous hours), per jump or per dive, as applicable.

The Submarine Allowance will be merged with SDA.

The listed monthly allowances must cease on March 31, 2026. Work is underway to program the pay system to allow for the processing of the new daily allowances. Members will be notified by CANFORGEN once this work is complete.

During the interim period, units will be required to track members’ entitlement to these allowances for entry in the pay system once it is ready.

Members are reminded that, unlike monthly allowances that are paid automatically, a daily allowance is paid after the fact. Members should expect a payment lag of one to two months following the event for which the allowances are payable, depending on their pay office’s workload.

Entitlement to Aircrew Allowance remains unchanged.

Any CAF member performing duties that meet the criteria for an Environmental Allowance is eligible to receive it, regardless of their element.

In addition to the introduction of the new daily allowances for LDA and SDA (ship and submarine), there have been many other updates to CBI 205, including the following:

• There are more stringent rules around the ceasing of monthly allowances. The “180-day rule” has been amended to 60 days to ensure that these benefits are only being paid to those exposed to the specific environment associated with the duties for which the allowance is intended;
• Monthly maximums have been adjusted to take into account the new allowance rates;
• Rescue Specialist Allowance has been updated to consider the new monthly maximums of the Paratroop and Diving Allowance rates;
• A new definition of “in the field” has been added to guide Commanding Officers and their staff on the application of the LDA;
• The monthly amount for Submarine Crewing Allowance has been increased to $600; and
• There have also been formatting changes; reorganized layout such as Special Forces Allowances being moved to Section 3 – Special Allowances; and the introduction of Domestic Operations and Arctic Allowances.

Domestic operations, for the purpose of this allowance, are those authorized under subsection 273.6(1) of the National Defence Act. This provision authorizes the Government of Canada to direct the CAF to perform duties in support of public service.

Authorized duties may cover a broad range of activities, most commonly including responses to natural disasters—such as wildfires, floods, or pandemics—and the provision of humanitarian assistance, including supporting provincial authorities in evacuating populations at risk due to a natural disaster, or assisting local authorities in establishing temporary accommodations for displaced persons.

The Domestic Operations Allowance applies when such duties are performed in Canada, conducted under the Chief of the Defence Staff, on named domestic operations, and in situations requiring a rapid response from the CAF.

The allowance applies in this situation only if the aircrew member remains at the designated post and meets the 24-hour continuous presence requirement.

Yes. Members may be eligible to receive LDA or SDA concurrently with the Domestic Operations Allowance, provided they meet the criteria for both.

The purpose of the allowance is to provide incremental financial compensation to members in receipt of LDA or SDA for performing duties involving exposure to austere Arctic conditions.

Members who are in receipt of LDA or SDA and are physically present in the Arctic for at least 24 continuous hours are eligible for the Arctic Allowance.

The allowance applies in this situation only if the aircrew member is also in receipt of LDA or SDA and meets the 24-hour continuous presence requirement. Receipt of Aircrew Allowance alone does not make one qualify.