- Canada’s temporary immigration measures for Haitians have been extended to October 27, 2026. That is weeks away, not months.
- If you are eligible and already in Canada with valid temporary status, you can apply from inside Canada for an open work permit, a study permit or a visitor record, and application fees are waived.
- You must hold valid temporary status both when you apply and when IRCC decides. Letting status lapse can cost you the measures entirely.
- For family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents, the travel dates are strict: left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, and arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024.
- Do not assume another extension. Apply well before October 27, 2026.
What has changed
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) introduced special measures in 2024 in response to the crisis in Haiti. IRCC has now extended them until October 27, 2026. The government’s page was last updated on August 28, 2026.
The measures do three things. They let eligible people already in Canada apply for or extend work, study and visitor status without leaving. They waive the usual application fees for those applications. And they give some flexibility to Haitian nationals abroad whose permanent residence applications are nearly finished but who cannot get a passport.
Who the measures cover
IRCC describes four groups:
- Haitian nationals and Haitian passport holders in Canada who have valid temporary resident status.
- Family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024, and are now in Canada with valid temporary status. Both the family member and the Canadian citizen or permanent resident must have left Haiti.
- Permanent residents of Canada who left Haiti and arrived within those same dates and are waiting for provincial or territorial health coverage to begin.
- Haitian nationals outside Canada whose permanent residence applications are already in progress.
A family member means a spouse or common-law partner, a dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your partner’s), or a dependent child of a dependent child. Brothers, sisters and parents are not included.
What you can apply for from inside Canada
If you fall within the measures, you can apply from inside Canada for any of these:
- an open work permit, new or an extension. An open permit is not tied to one employer, and you do not need a job offer to apply.
- a study permit, new or an extension.
- a visitor record, to extend your stay as a visitor.
- a new temporary resident permit, if you already hold one.
The fees for work permits, the open work permit holder fee, study permits, visitor records and temporary resident permits are all waived. You may also qualify for temporary, limited health coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program.
The conditions that catch people out
You need valid status at two moments
IRCC requires you to have valid temporary resident status when you apply and when it makes its decision. If your status has already expired, these measures are not a simple fix, and different options need to be considered.
If you apply before your current status expires, you are on maintained status. You can stay while IRCC decides, on the same conditions as your expiring document. That is one of the strongest reasons not to leave an application to the last day.
The fee waiver has to be claimed
Fees are not waived automatically. Applicants are asked to include a short signed letter stating they are exempt from fees under the HTI2024 special measures, and to answer the fee question in the online application accordingly. A missing letter or a wrong answer can hold up an application or lead to a fee request.
A work or study permit still has ordinary requirements
The measures remove fees and let you apply from inside Canada. They do not remove the usual tests. You still need to be admissible, which covers criminality, security and medical grounds. You must show enough money for yourself and the family members with you, and satisfy an officer that you will leave at the end of your authorized stay. A study permit also requires acceptance at a designated learning institution and, in most cases, a provincial attestation letter. Unless you already hold a work, study or temporary resident permit, a study permit application also counts against the annual cap.
Temporary resident permit holders: stop work if your permit expires
Renewals of temporary resident permits under the measures are made on paper. If your permit expires before IRCC decides, IRCC says you must stop working or studying until you receive a new permit. Plan the timing with that in mind.
Haitian nationals abroad with permanent residence applications
If you are a Haitian national outside Canada and your permanent residence application is ready for approval, but you cannot obtain a passport or travel document because of the situation in Haiti, IRCC may not require one. You will need to explain why you cannot provide it. If the application is approved, IRCC may issue a single-journey travel document so you can come to Canada.
How applications are made
Applications are made online through an IRCC secure account, with the HTI2024 code used throughout. Paper applications are allowed only where a disability or another barrier makes applying online impossible or unreliable, and for temporary resident permit renewals. IRCC’s crisis web form is the contact point for questions, and it also asks for HTI2024.
The online questions have to be answered in a particular way to reach the right checklist and the fee exemption. Small mistakes at this stage are common and slow things down.
What to do now
- Check when your current status expires, and when the measures end on October 27, 2026. Work to whichever is sooner.
- If you are a family member, confirm the travel dates for you and your Canadian citizen or permanent resident relative.
- Gather your passport or travel document, proof of relationship where it applies, and proof of funds.
- If you are unsure which permit fits, or your status is close to expiring, get advice before you file, not after.
Our immigration lawyers can review your situation, confirm whether the measures apply to you, and prepare the application. If you are also waiting on a permanent residence application, ask about a bridging open work permit as well.
Questions
Do the travel dates apply to Haitian nationals, or only to family members?
IRCC lists Haitian nationals in Canada with valid temporary status without any travel dates. The heading over the list of what can be applied for mentions the dates for both groups, though. If you are a Haitian national who arrived after April 26, 2024, have your situation checked before relying on the measures.
Will the measures be extended again?
No one can say. They have been extended before, but IRCC has not announced anything beyond October 27, 2026. Plan as though that date is final.
My status has already expired. Can I still apply?
Not under these measures as they are written, because valid status is required when you apply. Other routes may exist, including restoration of status in some cases, and the time limits for those are short. Speak to a lawyer quickly.
Do I have to pay the biometrics fee?
For temporary resident permit renewals under the measures, IRCC says the biometrics fee is not payable. Whether you need to give biometrics at all depends on whether you have given them in the last ten years.
Does this lead to permanent residence?
No. These are temporary measures. They let you stay, work or study lawfully while other plans are made. Permanent residence needs its own application under one of the permanent programs.
Sources
This article is general information about the measures as published by IRCC on August 28, 2026, and is not legal advice. The measures are temporary and can change. Check the current IRCC page or speak to a lawyer about your own situation.
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