Canada revitalizes measures for Iranians to obtain work permit extensions

Iranians will be able to renew their work permits, under measures extended by the Canadian federal government.

The revised and extended measures, published on the government website on March 4, 2026, are effective from March 1, 2026 through to March 31, 2027, under the Revised temporary public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada as temporary residents.

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Under this temporary public policy, Iranian nationals in Canada can extend their work permits provided they meet the following conditions:

• Have valid temporary resident status.
• Hold a valid work permit, which was issued on or before February 28, 2025.

They must also not already have been granted an exemption under this policy, and, to be issued a work permit, must still meet Canada's general admissibility requirements.

Iranians who were first issued their initial work permit on or after March 1, 2025, including those who were issued permits under the now-expired Updated temporary public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada as temporary residents, are not eligible to extend their permits under the new policy.

The policy is set to remain in effect until March 31, 2027, at which time it will expire if not renewed.

Like all temporary public policies, it can be revoked at any time without notice.

More information about application procedures and eligibility can be found at IRCC's webpage.

Is this policy a continuation of the previous measures for Iranians?

While this policy follows closely on the heels of the recent expiry of the "temporary public policy for nationals of Iran in Canada", with the intention of continuing to offer special provisions to Iranians nationals, the current policy is notably narrower in both scope and provisions than the measures that it replaced.

Most obviously, the current policy:

• Is meant for Iranian work permit holders in Canada only (work-permit extensions), with IRCC stating no other temporary measures are in place.
  • The policy that expired Feb 28, 2026, also facilitated open work permits and in-Canada study permits (in addition to extensions).
• Has a different “cut-off” concept:
  • Eligibility for the current policy hinges on having a valid work permit which had been issued no later than Feb 28, 2025.
  • Under the expired policy, eligibility hinged on arriving in Canada on or before Feb 28, 2025.
• Applies to a more restrictive applicant group:
  • The current policy requires you to be a worker in Canada with a valid work permit at the time of application.
  • The expired policy covered a broader set of Iranian temporary residents (workers and those seeking study permits from inside Canada) as long as they met the arrival cut-off and had valid status.
• Does not allow visitors or students to change statuses under special measures anymore. These individuals must now use the regular application processes for a work or study permit.
  • Under the expired policy, eligible applicants could apply for an initial study permit from within Canada under the special measures.
• One-time use restriction is explicit now: The current measures exclude people who’ve already been issued a work permit under these special measures (no second extension).

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