There’s a crisis in my home country. Does Canada have a temporary immigration program to help me?

Haitian nationals and passport holders in Canada with valid temporary status can apply without paying the fee for:

• a study or open work permit, or extension
• a visitor record
• a new temporary resident permit if they already have one

People can also apply if they're in Canada with a valid temporary status and they:

• left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024,
• arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024, and
• are a family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left Haiti during those dates.

But they must be a family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left Haiti.

Some Haitians applied for Canadian permanent residence and were approved but cannot give Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) their passport or travel document due to the crisis in Haiti. For Haitians in that situation, IRCC may give them a travel document to come to Canada.

IRCC has guidelines on how they process applications under the special measures for people from Haiti.

Canada had a program to give Hong Kong residents permanent resident status if they:  

• graduated from certain Canadian study programs, or  
• had specific Canadian work experience. 

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped accepting new applications to the program on September 1, 2026. 

People who applied under the program may be able to get an open work permit while waiting for the decision on their permanent residence application. They can apply for work permits until May 2029. 

Iranians in Canada with a valid work permit issued no later than February 28, 2025, may be able to renew their work permit.

They must also:

• be in Canada with a valid work permit when they apply and a decision is made,
• have a valid passport,
• meet most of the usual requirements to get a work permit, and
• pay the fee.

You can only extend your work permit once under this policy.

Apply by March 31, 2027.

Canada had a program that gave temporary resident visas (TRVs) to people in Gaza who are the extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped accepting new applications to the program on March 6, 2025.

The TRV is usually valid for up to 3 years.

Gazans accepted may be eligible for 90 days of healthcare coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). They're also eligible for free settlement services until March 31, 2027.

Watch this CLEO webinar to learn more about the special immigration measures for Gazans.

Palestinians in Canada

Until December 30, 2027, there's a policy for Palestinians in Canada if they:  

• have valid temporary resident status, 
• have a passport or another travel document issued by the State of Palestine, 
• entered Canada on or before September 30, 2027, and 
• did not already extend their stay or get an open work permit or study permit under one of the previous policies for Palestinians and family members. 

Palestinians in Canada who meet the conditions listed above can apply for the following without paying a fee:  

• an open work permit 
• a study permit 
• a visitor record to extend their stay as a visitor  
• a temporary resident permit (TRP) 

Family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada can also apply for the documents listed above without paying a fee if they:  

• have valid temporary resident status,  
• left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023,  
• are the family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left on or after that date, and 
• did not already extend their stay or get an open work permit or study permit under one of the previous policies for Palestinians and family members. 

All applicants must be in Canada when they apply and when IRCC decides their application. 

Palestinians or family members with an open work permit from a previous policy

Until December 30, 2027, people who have a valid open work permit issued under a previous policy for Palestinians and family members may be able to extend their permit. They pay the usual application fee.  

Palestinians in Canada can apply to extend their existing open work permit if they:  

• hold a passport or another travel document issued by the State of Palestine, 
• have valid temporary resident status, but not a TRP, and  
• have a valid open work permit that was issued under a previous policy for Palestinians and family members. 

Family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada can also apply if they: 

• left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023,  
• are the family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left on or after that date,
• have valid temporary resident status, but not a TRP, and  
• have a valid open work permit that was issued under a previous policy for Palestinians and family members. 

If they have a TRP, they can apply for another TRP under the regular process. They can apply to extend your open work permit along with the TRP application.  

They can only be issued one work permit extension under this policy. And they must be in Canada both when they apply and when IRCC decides their application. 

Financial help

After arriving in Canada, Gazans can apply for a one-time payment of $3,000 for each adult and $1,500 for each child. This amount is not taxed. 

To be eligible they must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status and: 

• hold a passport or another travel document from the State of Palestine and 
• have left Gaza on or after September 1, 2023. 

Immediate family members of this person are also eligible if they arrive in Canada by December 31, 2026. People who arrive in Canada before December 31, 2026 must apply for this financial assistance before March 31, 2027. 

People are also eligible for this financial help if they were part of the Government of Canada assisted departures out of Gaza or the West Bank between November 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. 

Sudanese nationals in Canada with valid temporary resident status and a valid Sudanese passport can apply without paying the fee for:

• a study or open work permit, or extension
• a visitor record
• a new temporary resident permit if they already have one

Sudanese nationals who are approved as permanent residents may be granted a travel document to come to Canada if they cannot provide their passport due to the conflict.

Family members in Canada

There's also a policy to help people in Canada who:

• left Sudan on or after April 15, 2023,
• entered Canada before July 15, 2023, and
• are the family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left Sudan on or after April 15, 2023.

They can apply without paying the fee for:

• a study or open work permit
• biometrics
• permanent residence as a sponsored spouse or child in Canada with faster application processing

They must have valid temporary resident status both when they apply and when IRCC decides their application.

These policies end on October 28, 2026.

Extended family members

Canada had a program to give permanent resident status to people from Sudan who have an extended family member that lives in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is not accepting new applications under this program. IRCC is processing applications they have received.

Ukrainians and their family members may be able to renew their open work permit if they:

• have a valid open work permit that was issued under a public policy for Ukrainians and their eligible family members, and
•  arrived in Canada on or before December 31, 2024.

They have until March 31, 2027, to apply and pay the application fees.

Extended family

Canada had a program to give permanent resident status to Ukrainians who have an extended family member who:

• lives in Canada, and
• is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Ukrainians in Canada who applied for permanent residence under that program can also apply:  

• for a new open work permit or extension 
• for a new study permit or extension 
• to extend their stay as a visitor  

They have until March 31, 2027 to apply.

Applicants usually also need valid temporary resident status to apply. If their temporary resident status expired, they might be able to apply to restore it.

If applicants included family members in their application for permanent residence, their family members can also apply for the documents listed above.

Legal help

Pro Bono Ontario has a telephone hotline that offers free legal advice and referrals to Ukrainians who want to enter or remain in Canada. Help is available in Ukrainian, English, or French. Call: 1-877-873-7875.

Canada had a program to give permanent residence to family members of a previously resettled Yazidi person or survivor of Daesh who now lives in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is not accepting new applications under this program.

IRCC is processing applications already submitted and is contacting family members in Canada who have applied. IRCC will accept up to 400 applicants and their families.