Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that the special measures for Iranian temporary residents in Canada, which had expired on February 28, 2026, have now been extended to March 31, 2027. However, the criteria for the special measures have changed. Iranian nationals in Canada who only hold a visitor record or study permit no longer fall under these special measures.
Iranian nationals with a valid passport and a valid work permit status in Canada may be eligible to extend their work permit under the special measures if:
- Your valid work permit was issued no later than February 28, 2025, and
- They are in Canada with a valid work permit at the time of application submission and are in Canada when the work permit extension is approved, and
- You haven’t already been issued a work permit under the March 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027 special measures to extend work permits.
- If you were already issued a work permit extension under the new measures, you can’t get a second one, and
- You meet the general eligibility and admissibility requirements for a work permit.
Work permit extensions will require standard application fees.
If applying for an open work permit, applicants will have to prove that they have enough money to pay for living expenses for themselves and any accompanying family members. Furthermore, open work permits issued under the extended measures will only be issued for a maximum of 2 years.
For detailed instructions on how to apply for a work permit extension under the special measures, please visit IRCC’s dedicated webpage.