Palestinian Open Work Permit Extensions: Check the Original Permit Before Applying
News date: August 24, 2026. Prepared September 6, 2026; official instructions checked on that date.
The detailed extension policy published on Canada.ca on August 24 addresses a narrower group than the general announcement about measures for Palestinians. It concerns people already holding qualifying work permits under specified earlier policies.
Why the original approval matters
For the Palestinian Authority passport or travel-document category, the policy requires valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit issued under one of the named prior policies when the renewal application is made. The application must be made from Canada, and the applicant must not already have received an exemption under this extension policy.
A separate category covers certain foreign national family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents with additional conditions. The policy took effect August 1, 2026 and is scheduled to expire December 30, 2027, subject to earlier revocation. Standard fees apply, and other requirements remain unless expressly exempted.
Review the file before the permit expires
Start with the permit and the approval correspondence, not just an expiry date copied into a calendar. Establish which policy supported the original issuance. If the record is incomplete, identify what is missing early enough to resolve it.
This is especially important where a person has made several applications or changed status. A previous benefit under special measures does not by itself establish that the current permit satisfies the extension policy.
What an employer should record
An employer’s review should distinguish the current permit, any renewal application and the basis for continued work. The public policy does not automatically change the expiry date printed on a permit. Any question about working during processing should be assessed against the actual application and status history.
See our work permit services for assistance with that assessment. Retaining the underlying records makes the advice more reliable than relying on an informal description of the earlier application.
Official source: IRCC’s open work permit extension 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.
