Open Work Permits for Canada TR to PR Pathway Applicants (2026 Update)

Open Work Permits for Canada TR to PR Pathway Applicants (2026 Update):

Canada announced important news about its open work permit in Canada after PGWP. Immigrants with expired or expiring Post-Graduation Work Permits were able to get new access to open work permits. This update was shared on 2 August 2022 along with the work permit access being issued to Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence (TR to PR) Pathway candidates. This means it includes the applications that are yet to be finalized. This news will be proved beneficial for thousands of foreign nationals living in Canada who are eligible for work permits. It’s a necessary step in order to continue work in Canada for a period of time. Candidates with Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) that expired or were expiring between September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2022, are allowed to apply for an open work permit in Canada after PGWP for an additional 18 months. (2026 update: the PGWP part of this measure is now closed — applications had to be submitted by December 31, 2022, and the interim authorization to keep working ended on May 31, 2023. The TR to PR part is still open: candidates whose applications are yet to be finalized can apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026.) Those who are currently working in Canada can temporarily work until a new permit is issued or extended.

RNIP Canada is now closed. For the current Rural and Francophone Community Immigration Pilots, click here.

How the 2022 Measure Affected Applicants (Historical Record)

There are five possible scenarios of how the new measure affected applicants if you are among the refugees, immigrants, or have Citizenship in Canada. Let’s discuss them briefly. Note: these scenarios describe IRCC’s 2022 public policy, which closed on December 31, 2022 — they are kept here as a historical record.

Scenario 1: Candidates whose PGWP will expire between October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022. No need to change the address and information.

If the candidate’s address is up to date, and the passport is valid until April 2024 they don’t need to do anything. In case you receive an email from IRCC to confirm your mailing address, just don’t respond. These were the instructions provided by the IRCC. They will send an updated work permit by mid-October to the given mailing address.

Scenario 2: Candidates whose PGWP will expire between October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Need to change the address and information.

If the candidate’s address or passport validity is not up to date and needs to be changed, you will receive an email from IRCC to confirm your mailing address. Here, you just have to follow the instructions and let the officials know the information needs an update. If a candidate’s passport validity is not valid for the work permit to be extended by 18 months, an initial email will not be sent, but instead, a separate email will be sent in September.

Candidates in need of updating their mailing or passport information will be given further instructions via email in September. All the processes will be done online. They will be only given 2 weeks time to update all the relevant information, after that, an updated work permit will be mailed by mid-November. So the candidates are advised to check their passport validity and if its expiry date is before April 2, 2024, then apply to extend it.

Scenario 3: Candidates whose PGWP will expire between October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Unable to change the address or information.

The candidates who are unable to change their address or passport validity will have to apply to extend their work permit. In this case, a work permit can be extended to the passport expiration date or wait and apply until they have a renewed passport.

Scenario 4: Candidates whose PGWP will expire between October 2, 2022, to December 31, 2022. IRCC didn’t contact them.

Unfortunately, candidates who were not contacted by IRCC via email by mid-September will not be eligible to have their work permit extended through an open work permit in Canada after PGWP, such as their file will need further review due to some added information. They are advised to contact the IRCC and still apply to extend their work permit.

Scenario 5: Candidates whose PGWP will expire or expired from September 20, 2021, to October 1, 2022.

These candidates will apply for a new work permit. Applications are open from August 2, 2022. The same goes for the candidates in Canada whose temporary status has also expired, they should apply to restore their status. Under these special circumstances, they will be allowed to restore their status, even if it’s expired for 90 days.

Candidates can also apply from abroad as they are eligible if they have left Canada and returned after being approved. Keep in mind that the candidates are not eligible for this work permit as they cannot apply at a port of entry. If we talk about the last date of submitting public policy work permit applications, they should be submitted online by December 31, 2022.

Can Candidates Still Work While their Applications are Processed?

Candidates whose PGWP will expire or expired from September 20, 2021, to December 31, 2022, will receive an email from IRCC stating that they are allowed to work while all the process is done. Candidates are allowed to attach this email to their PGWP as proof that they are authorized to work. This provisional measure was in effect until May 31, 2023, and has now ended. Candidates who had valid temporary resident visas and are currently outside Canada are allowed to return and be authorized to work. However, only the temporary work authorization email notice is not enough, by itself, and cannot be used to return to Canada without a visa.

TR to PR Pathway Applicant’s Work Permits

If we discuss the candidates for the TR to PR Pathway applicant’s work permits, they are yet to be finalized, and meanwhile, they can apply for an open work permit. Under IRCC’s current temporary public policy, you can apply for an open work permit until December 31, 2026, if you applied for permanent residence under one of the six TR to PR streams and are still waiting for a decision. When you apply online, request an end date no later than December 31, 2026, and just make sure that your passport is valid that long. You cannot apply at a port of entry. The work permit processing fee is CAN$155, and you are exempt from the CAN$100 open work permit holder fee. On form IMM 5710, select “Open work permit” and write “TRPR pathway PP OWP” (or “TRPR pathway PP OWP-EXT” if you are extending) as the job title, along with the name of your TR to PR stream. Your spouse, common-law partner, or dependent children aged 18 or older may also be eligible for an open work permit under this policy.