Who may qualify
- An Iranian national with a valid passport.
- In Canada with a valid work permit, both when the application is submitted and when IRCC makes the decision.
- The work permit was issued on or before February 28, 2025.
- The applicant has not already received a work permit extension under the measures that began on March 1, 2026. Only one extension is available under this policy.
- All ordinary work permit eligibility and admissibility requirements that the policy does not expressly exempt are still met.
What the measure can provide
An eligible applicant may receive a work permit extension valid for up to two years. The permit cannot be valid beyond the passport's expiry date, and the decision remains with IRCC.
The deadline is March 31, 2027. The policy applies to applications received from March 1, 2026 until it expires or is revoked earlier, and IRCC may revoke it without notice. IRCC's instructions treat applications received from March 1, 2025 up to and including February 28, 2026 under the earlier 2025 Iran measures.
Who is not covered
Iranian visitors, study permit holders and temporary resident permit holders can no longer use the special measures to change to a different type of permit or to extend. If they are eligible, they extend their visitor, student or temporary resident permit status through the regular process.
A work permit issued after February 28, 2025, a work permit that has already expired when the application is filed, being outside Canada, or having already received the one extension under this measure does not fit the published conditions. The extension cannot be requested at a port of entry. Open work permits issued under the policy exclude certain occupations, namely child care, primary and secondary school teaching and health occupations.
Application, fees and maintained status
- Apply online from inside Canada through the work permit extension process and include a copy of a valid passport or travel document.
- Pay CAN$155 for work permit processing, plus CAN$100 if the open work permit holder fee applies. Biometrics (CAN$85 per person, up to CAN$170 per family) may also be required.
- If your passport expires within the period you are requesting, renew it first, because IRCC cannot issue a permit that is valid beyond the passport's expiry.
- If your work permit expires before the application is decided, you may have maintained status. This lets you stay in Canada while you wait, and you must continue to meet the conditions of the expiring permit.
- If you contact IRCC through the web form about your application, include "Iran2023" in the text box.
Practical caution
A policy that is open until March 31, 2027 does not make anyone eligible on its own. Nationality, location, a valid work permit, the permit's original issue date, any earlier use of the 2026 measure, passport validity and admissibility must all be checked together on the day of filing.