Canada extends work permit measures under safe haven for Palestinians and family members of Canadians

Canada's immigration department has extended measures to provide work permit extensions to eligible foreign nationals who have left Palestine, who might otherwise be at risk of losing authorization to work in Canada.

On August 24, 2026, the department published a new temporary public policy, which applies to foreign nationals in Canada holding work permits issued under a set of seven previous temporary public policies.

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To qualify to be issued an extension of an open work permit under the new policy, the foreign national must

• have left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023; and
• hold valid temporary resident status.

The foreign national must also be either

• a national of Palestine; or
• a family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023.

To qualify as a national of Palestine, the applicant must also hold a passport or travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority.

The new policy, Temporary public policy to facilitate extensions of open work permits for foreign nationals in Canada who were facilitated under previous public policies for foreign nationals of Palestine, applies to applications received on or after August 1, 2026, and is applicable to work permits issued under the following earlier policies:

• Temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents, signed on December 16, 2023.
• Temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023, signed on December 16, 2023.
• Temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as a temporary resident, signed on March 7, 2024.
• Temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023, signed on March 7, 2024.
• Updated temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents – Extension, signed on June 11, 2024.
• Updated temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023 – Extension, signed on June 11, 2024.
• Temporary public policy for foreign nationals of the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents, signed on July 31, 2025.

The new policy is set to remain in effect until December 30, 2027. As is usual with temporary public policies, it may be revoked at any time without prior notice.

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Each qualifying foreign national can be issued only a single work permit extension under this policy.

The policy uses the definition of family member established in Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (Regulations), which defines a family member as

• a person’s spouse or common-law partner;
• a person’s dependent child;
• a dependent child of the person’s spouse or common-law partner;
• a dependent child of the person’s dependent child; or
• a dependent child of the dependent child of the person’s spouse or common-law partner.

In the typical definition, a dependent child is a child under the age of 22, not married or in a common-law relationship.

A child aged 22 or older can be considered a dependent child only if they have been financially dependent on their parents since before turning 22, and remain financially dependent on account of a physical or mental condition.

A qualifying applicant under this policy is exempted only from the typical work permit criterion of falling into one of the eligible foreign worker situations under the umbrella of Canada's International Mobility Program (IMP) or Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The criterion is the one described in paragraph 200(1)(c) of the Regulations.

As applicants are exempted from no other conditions, they must still meet all the general eligibility requirements for temporary resident applicants, including not being inadmissible on account of having a criminal history or suffering from overly expensive medical conditions, showing the ability to financially support themselves during their time in Canada, and satisfying the officer that they intend to leave Canada at the end of the authorized period of their stay.

As a matter of course, work permits are issued for a duration discretionary to the judgment of the immigration officer. In general, officers are commonly instructed to consider validity periods of up to two years, or up to the expiry of the foreign national’s travel document, whichever comes first.

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