I-Minerals Receives Operation and Reclamation Plan Approval

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 02, 2017) - I-Minerals lnc. (TSX VENTURE: IMA) (OTCQB: IMAHF) (FRANKFURT: 61M) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that further to its press release of April 5, 2017 wherein the company reported it had re-filed its Operation and Reclamation Plan ("ORP") with the Idaho Department of Lands (the "IDL"), the amended ORP has been accepted by the IDL. The approval of the ORP, together with the recently received water permit from the Idaho Department of Water Resources ("IDWR") positions the Company to be able to begin construction, subject to financing and certain bonding requirements.

"This is an exceptional achievement for I-Minerals and the result of many months of hard work, by our staff and our environmental engineering consultant HDR Engineering, Inc.," stated Thomas Conway, President and CEO of I-Minerals Inc. "Few exploration companies ever get their projects to the full feasibility stage and those that do often face long permitting challenges, particularly in US jurisdictions. I-Minerals completed the Feasibility and Permitting tasks in just over two years, which speaks volumes to the quality of our project, our team and the abilities of the permitting agencies to recognize that the Bovill Kaolin Project, which will be a non-metal mine, has less impacts than most mines. Plus, we have gone above and beyond what otherwise might be required through good environmental stewardship methodologies such as dry stacking of the tailings and a zero water discharge operation."

The ORP was approved subject to standard terms including:

1. All refuse, chemical and petroleum products to be stored in designated location at least 100 feet from any surface water;

2. State water quality standards to be maintained at all times during the life of the operation

3. Erosions and non-point source pollution shall be minimized by careful design and implementing Best Management practices

4. A reclamation bond of approximately $3,000,000 being submitted to, approved by and maintained by the IDL prior to conducting any mining activities.

5. Obtaining all other necessary permits and approvals from state and federal authorities (e.g. Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan; air quality, consultation with fisheries and US Army Corp of Engineers 404 Permit and Stream Channel Alteration Permits) as required for each production process.