Canada Updates Temporary Measures for Eligible Palestinian Arrivals
News date: July 31, 2026. Prepared September 6, 2026; official instructions checked on that date.
IRCC’s July 31 announcement replaced expiring measures with two distinct policies. One concerns eligible arrivals who have not previously benefited from specified in-Canada measures; the other concerns extensions for certain existing work permit holders.
The arrival measure has specific conditions
The arrival policy provides access to fee-exempt in-Canada applications for eligible study permits, open work permits, temporary resident permits and extensions of temporary status. It uses a September 30, 2027 arrival cutoff and is scheduled to expire December 30, 2027.
The detailed policy, dated August 24 on Canada.ca and effective August 1, requires a closer review. For Palestinian Authority passport or travel-document holders, relevant conditions include valid temporary resident status, an authorized stay beginning by the cutoff, and no previous exemption under the listed policies. It also contains a separate category for certain foreign national family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Build a short immigration history first
Before choosing an application, collect the entry record, current status document and earlier applications or approvals under special measures. A person’s nationality and current presence in Canada do not tell the whole story.
The distinction between the two policies makes prior approvals particularly important. A family should not assume that the fee treatment or eligibility rules applying to a newly arrived relative also apply to someone who already received a work permit under earlier measures.
An application opportunity is not current work permission
Employers should review the actual basis on which a person is authorized to work. A notice announcing eligibility to apply is not a substitute for that assessment. Applicants should obtain advice before starting work or changing activities where their current documents do not clearly permit it.
Our work permit services can help assess the relevant policy and the applicant’s existing status together.
Official sources: IRCC’s July 31 notice; detailed arrival policy.
General information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on the facts and may change.
About the author
Miguel Martins Pereirinha is a Canadian immigration lawyer and partner at Slayen Immigration Law in Vancouver, British Columbia. He practises Canadian immigration law exclusively — work permits, permanent residence, family sponsorship, citizenship and inadmissibility — and works with clients in English and Portuguese.
