How to read a public policy
- Check the datesConfirm that the policy is in force on your filing date. Policies can be extended, replaced, revoked or limited to applications already received.
- Check who it coversNationality, location, current status, arrival date, existing applications, family relationship and required documents are usually all conditions.
- Check what it exemptsA policy waives only the requirements it names. Medical, criminal, security and identity requirements, and anything else not named, still apply.
- Keep proofSave a copy of the policy as it read when you applied, and your proof of submission. When a policy expires, new applications stop, but complete applications received before then are generally processed under it.
Work-permit and status policies
| Policy | Who it may help | In force | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iranian nationals in Canada (revised) | Iranian nationals in Canada with valid status who want to renew a work permit issued on or before February 28, 2025 (details below) | March 1, 2026 | March 31, 2027 |
| Ukrainian open work permit extensions | Ukrainian nationals and family members in Canada holding a work permit issued under earlier Ukraine (CUAET) policies, who arrived by the dates in the policy and apply to renew from inside Canada | April 1, 2026 | March 31, 2027 |
| Ukrainian family members: temporary residence | Ukrainian nationals and family members with an accepted permanent residence application under the Ukraine family-reunification policy, applying for a work or study permit in Canada | About January 16, 2026 | March 31, 2027 |
| Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge | Up to 2,700 temporary workers in Manitoba with a Government of Manitoba support letter issued by December 31, 2025, a place in the MPNP expression-of-interest pool and a letter from their current employer | July 2026 (signed July 6, 2026) | December 31, 2027 |
| Prospective permanent residents in Quebec | Holders of Quebec employer-specific work permits who have a PSTQ invitation and a submitted permanent selection application, applying with the same employer; and their spouses or partners | June 5, 2026 | December 31, 2026 |
| Changing employment | Workers in Canada with valid status and a pending work permit application for a new employer or occupation, who ask to start the new job while it is processed | May 27, 2025 | No end date; in force until revoked |
| Study without a study permit | Work permit holders taking a course or program of six months or less. The exemption lasts while the work permit is valid; officers may grant it at their discretion | About September 4, 2026 (signed August 5, 2026) | December 31, 2027 |
The Iran policy in detail
The revised policy that took effect March 1, 2026 is narrow. It only lets eligible Iranian nationals renew an existing work permit from inside Canada. It is not a general open work permit for Iranian visitors, students or former workers.
Who qualifies
An Iranian national with a valid passport, in Canada with valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit, both when applying and when IRCC decides.
The permit date
The work permit being renewed must have been issued on or before February 28, 2025.
Only once
A person can receive the exemption under this policy only once. It cannot be requested at a port of entry.
Validity
IRCC says the renewed permit may be valid for up to two years, and never beyond the passport's expiry date.
- Apply online from inside CanadaUse the application to extend a work permit. IRCC must receive the complete application on or before March 31, 2027, unless the policy is revoked earlier.
- Standard fees$155 for the work permit, plus the $100 open work permit holder fee where it applies, plus $85 for biometrics if required.
- Occupation limitsIRCC's program delivery instructions list child care, primary and secondary school teaching, and health services occupations as not authorized on open work permits, in the case of applicants who have not completed an immigration medical exam. They do not say whether the limits apply to employer-specific permits. Confirm your client's case before filing.
- Visitors and studentsVisitors, students and temporary resident permit holders cannot use this policy. IRCC says no other temporary measures are in place for Iranian applicants; they must use the regular processes, such as a visitor record or a study permit extension.
Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot
This pilot lets students from listed French-speaking countries study in French at participating institutions outside Quebec and, after graduating, apply for permanent residence. The study permit policy was signed on June 25, 2026 and replaced the one signed on September 18, 2025. A linked policy covers the graduates' permanent residence applications.
| Policy | Who it may help | In force | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| FMCSP study permits | Part A: citizens of the French-speaking countries listed in the policy who apply from outside Canada. Part B: principal applicants renewing a pilot study permit from inside Canada. Part C: family members of a principal applicant who holds, or has been approved for, a pilot study permit | June 25, 2026 | Part A: August 25, 2027. Parts B and C: until the linked permanent residence policy expires or is revoked |
| FMCSP permanent residence | Graduates of the pilot who are in Canada outside Quebec with valid status (or eligible for restoration), intend to live outside Quebec, and completed a full-time program of at least two years taught mainly in French at a participating institution; and their family members. Work permits issued while the application is pending are limited to three years | June 25, 2026 | November 30, 2032 |
Study permit conditions
A letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution that has an agreement with IRCC for the pilot and states that you apply under it; a full-time program of at least two years leading to a diploma or degree, taught mainly (more than 50% of classes) in French; and at least level 5 (NCLC 5) in each of the four abilities on an approved general French test.
Funds
First-year tuition and travel costs, plus available funds of at least 75% of the low income cut-off (LICO) for the municipality of the main campus.
Annual cap on Part A
2,970 applications for each pilot year (August 26, 2025 to August 25, 2026, and August 26, 2026 to August 25, 2027). Applications over the cap are returned. Admission by a school does not guarantee that a place under the cap is available.
What is waived
Only the requirement to show that you intend to leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay. Admissibility, language, funds and every other requirement still apply.
Humanitarian and family measures
| Policy | Who it may help | In force | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palestinians whose stay in Canada began on or before September 30, 2027 | Palestinian Authority passport or travel document holders in Canada with valid status, and family members of citizens or permanent residents who left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023. Fee-exempt extensions or temporary resident permits, with work or study permits | August 1, 2026 | December 30, 2027 |
| Palestinian open work permit extensions | People holding a work permit issued under earlier Palestine policies, renewing from inside Canada | August 1, 2026 | December 30, 2027 |
| Approved Gaza temporary resident visa holders | Extended family members affected by the Gaza crisis who already hold a visa issued under the earlier Gaza policy and want to enter Canada | April 24, 2026 | March 31, 2028 |
| Sudanese nationals in Canada | Sudanese nationals in Canada with valid status: fee-exempt extensions and temporary resident permits, with work or study permits; and some people abroad approved for permanent residence who cannot get a passport | December 29, 2025 | October 27, 2026 |
| Family members who fled Sudan | Family members of citizens or permanent residents, both of whom left Sudan on or after April 15, 2023, who entered Canada before July 15, 2023 | December 29, 2025 | October 27, 2026 |
| Haitian nationals in Canada | Haitian nationals in Canada with valid status: fee-exempt extensions and temporary resident permits, with work or study permits; and some people abroad approved for permanent residence who cannot get a passport | November 20, 2025 | October 27, 2026 |
| Family members who fled Haiti | Family members of citizens or permanent residents, both of whom left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, who arrived in Canada by April 26, 2024 | November 20, 2025 | October 27, 2026 |
Policies for refugee claimants and resettlement
| Policy | Who it may help | In force | Ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unaccompanied minors and the new ineligibilities | Claimants under 18 with no parent or legally responsible adult in Canada: exempt from the one-year and 14-day ineligibility rules | May 19, 2026 | No end date; in force until revoked |
| Open work permits for ineligible claims | People in Canada whose refugee claims were found ineligible: new open work permits, and protection of existing permits from cancellation when the removal order becomes enforceable | March 26, 2026 | No end date stated |
| Replacement sponsors for SAH refugees | Refugees whose Sponsorship Agreement Holder's agreement was cancelled and who received a procedural fairness letter asking them to find a new sponsor (the 90-day period must not have run out). Groups of Five and Community Sponsors may file without the refugee status determination document normally required | May 7, 2026 | May 7, 2028 |
Natural disasters in Canada
A policy in force since April 1, 2026 and ending November 30, 2028 helps foreign nationals in Canada who were directly affected by a natural disaster while they had valid status. They can apply to restore status, or to renew a work or study permit, within six months of being affected, with an attestation of how they were affected. It is not a general fee waiver for everyone in an affected region.
A separate policy with the same dates (April 1, 2026 to November 30, 2028) covers foreign emergency services personnel selected by a provincial, territorial or national emergency management body to help respond to a natural disaster in Canada. It waives the temporary resident visa processing fee and the biometrics fee for them.
Other special measures to check before travel or filing
| Measure | What it does | Key date |
|---|---|---|
| Ebola outbreak (2026) | IRCC is not finalizing visas, eTAs, temporary resident permit counterfoils or permanent resident visas for people whose last country of residence is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan. Applications are still processed but not finalized. People already in Canada keep their status for the authorized period. Since July 20, 2026, foreign nationals who were in the DRC in the past 21 days cannot board a flight to Canada. | Started May 27, 2026; extended to November 27, 2026 |
| PRRA waiting-period exemptions | IRCC exempts some nationalities from the 12-month PRRA bar for decisions in set periods, including Iran (effective December 19, 2025) and Israel and Palestine (effective September 29, 2026). | Depends on the decision date |
Recently ended: do not rely on these
- Earlier Palestine policyThe earlier measures for Palestinians were due to end July 31, 2026 and were replaced by the two policies in force since August 1, 2026.
- 2025 Iran measuresExpired February 28, 2026. Only the narrower 2026 renewal policy remains.
- Undeclared family membersThe policy easing the bar on sponsoring undeclared family members covered only applications received by September 10, 2026.
- Hong Kong permanent residence pathwaysClosed to new applications on August 31, 2026.
- Potential provincial nominee work permitsThe earlier Alberta, Manitoba and Yukon policies have expired; the Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge replaces them for Manitoba only.
- FIFA World Cup 2026 measuresArchived by IRCC.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply under a policy that is about to end?
Yes, if your complete application is received while the policy is in force and you meet every condition. Complete applications received before a policy ends are generally processed under it. Applications received after the end date are not.
Does a public policy give me a right to stay in Canada?
No. A policy waives only the requirements it names for the people it describes. It can be revoked without notice, and you still need to meet all other requirements.
I am an Iranian national in Canada on a visitor record or a study permit. Can I use the Iran policy?
No. The 2026 policy is for Iranian nationals who hold a valid work permit issued on or before February 28, 2025 and want to renew it. Visitors, students and temporary resident permit holders must use the regular processes.
Where do I check whether a policy is still in force?
On IRCC's index of temporary public policies and its special measures page, both listed below. Read the policy itself, not a summary, and check again on the day you apply.
Official sources
- IRCC: Temporary public policies (index)
- IRCC: Revised public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada (2026)
- IRCC: Special measures for Iran
- IRCC: Program delivery instructions, Iran public policy
- IRCC: Ukrainian open work permit extensions (April 2026)
- IRCC: Temporary residence for Ukrainian family members
- IRCC: Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge
- IRCC: Work permits for prospective permanent residents in Quebec
- IRCC: Changing employment
- IRCC: Study without a study permit for work permit holders
- IRCC: Palestinians arriving by September 30, 2027
- IRCC: Palestinian open work permit extensions
- IRCC: Approved Gaza visa holders entering Canada
- IRCC: Sudanese nationals in Canada
- IRCC: Family members who fled Sudan
- IRCC: Haitian nationals in Canada
- IRCC: Family members who fled Haiti
- IRCC: Unaccompanied minors and the new ineligibilities
- IRCC: Open work permits for ineligible refugee claims
- IRCC: Replacement sponsors for SAH refugees
- IRCC: Foreign nationals affected by domestic natural disasters
- IRCC: Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, study permits
- IRCC: Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot, permanent residence
- IRCC: Foreign emergency services personnel (2026 to 2028)
- IRCC: Ebola 2026 special measures
- IRCC notice: Ebola border measures extended
- IRCC: PRRA applications and 12-month bar exemptions
- IRCC: Program delivery update, Manitoba Workforce Transition Bridge
- IRCC notice: Temporary measures for Palestinians updated
- IRCC notice: Hong Kong permanent residence pathways closing
- IRCC: All special measures
This page is general information about Canadian immigration law and policy as of the date above. It is not legal advice for your situation. Programs, forms and fees change often; check the official sources before you apply.