Canada extends Haiti and Sudan work-permit measures: who can renew

Eligible workers covered by Canada’s earlier Haiti and Sudan crisis measures can now apply for a further work-permit renewal. The revised application window runs to 30 December 2027, but it does not automatically extend anyone’s existing permit.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the targeted extension on 27 October. Its updated application pages explain the rules in force from 28 October 2026. Standard fees now apply. IRCC announcement (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/…/canada-temporary-measures-people-affected-crises-haiti…)

First, check which permit you hold

This is not a general new work route for every Haitian or Sudanese national. Both schemes require a valid work permit issued under a qualifying earlier temporary public policy. The official pages list the covered policies, including measures for eligible foreign-national family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who fled the crises.

Applicants must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status both when applying and when IRCC makes its decision. They must also meet the general work-permit eligibility and admissibility requirements, and must not already have received a renewal under the new 28 October measure. Check the relevant instructions: Haiti (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/…/canada-tr-measures.html) or Sudan (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/…/measures.html).

The application deadline is not your permit expiry date

IRCC says an approved renewal could last up to three years. Its length cannot go beyond the expiry of the applicant’s passport or biometrics.

The 30 December 2027 date is the last day to submit under these measures—not permission to ignore an earlier expiry on your current document. Check that date now. If you apply to extend your work permit before it expires, you can remain in Canada while IRCC processes it. To keep working while awaiting a decision, you must stay in Canada and follow your existing permit conditions. IRCC maintained-status guidance (ircc.canada.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=189)

Prepare the application and budget for fees

Applications normally go through an IRCC secure account. Follow the country-specific questionnaire instructions for an open work permit under an active public policy.

Both pages require the worker-extension application, a copy of the current work permit, a passport or travel-document copy, and a letter saying you are applying under the 2026 Haiti measures or 2026 Sudan measures, as appropriate. Additional forms depend on personal circumstances. Haiti instructions (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/…/canada-tr-measures.html)

The listed charges are C$155 for processing plus C$100 for an open work permit. Biometrics, where required, cost C$85 per person; eligible families may pay up to C$170. Check the official checklist before submitting, rather than treating this summary as your personalised document list. Sudan fees (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/…/measures.html)

Visitors and students use the regular routes

The announcement directs people seeking visitor-status or study-permit extensions to IRCC’s existing channels. Do not assume the work-permit renewal measure creates an equivalent new study or visitor concession. IRCC announcement (canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/…/canada-temporary-measures-people-affected-crises-haiti…)

Information checked on 28 October 2026. Individual eligibility depends on your immigration history and documents; use IRCC’s current instructions or qualified advice for your case.

Archival illustration: Parliament Hill seen across the Ottawa River. Photo by Andre Alexander (unsplash.com/@vincydre) / Unsplash (unsplash.com/photos/a-large-building-sitting-on-top-of-a-hill-next-to-a-body-of-water…), first published in 2021. Unsplash Licence (unsplash.com/license). Cropped and resized; not a photograph of applicants or the 2026 announcement.