Open work permit renewals for foreign nationals facilitated under previous public policies related to the crisis in Palestine
Note: These instructions apply to applications for open work permit renewals received on or after August 1, 2026 from applicants who were facilitated under previous public policies related to the crisis in Palestine. Officers processing applications submitted from August 1, 2025 up to and including July 31, 2026 should refer to the instructions found in the following: In-Canada temporary measures to support foreign nationals in response to the crisis in the state of Palestine.
These instructions apply to IRCC employees. Given that applicants cannot submit their applications at a port of entry, these instructions do not apply to border services officers.
These instructions provide operational guidance related to the Temporary public policy to facilitate extensions of open work permits for foreign nationals in Canada who were facilitated under previous public policies for foreign nationals of Palestine.
This public policy provides access to open work permit renewals, subject to standard application fees, for eligible Palestinian nationals and eligible foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who hold valid open work permits issued under exemptions provided from earlier temporary public policies related to the crisis in Gaza.
This temporary public policy takes effect on August 1, 2026 and expires on December 30, 2027.
All standard eligibility and admissibility requirements not otherwise exempted must be met by clients. Applicants who don’t meet these requirements may have their applications refused.
On this page
Background
The situation in Gaza remains volatile since the attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which triggered an Israeli response that resulted in the death of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed large swathes of Gaza.
Many persons holding a passport or travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority have chosen to come to Canada to spend time with family, study, or work temporarily. Many foreign national family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who fled Palestine as a result of the conflict are in Canada on temporary status. Some of these foreign nationals remain unable to return home due to the conflict.
Eligibility
Under this temporary public policy, applicants may be eligible to renew their existing open work permit from within Canada. Applicants must hold a valid work permit issued under one of the following public policies:
- Temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents, signed on December 16, 2023;
- Temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023, signed on December 16, 2023;
- Temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and Palestine who are in Canada as a temporary resident, signed on March 7, 2024;
- Temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023, signed on March 7, 2024;
- Updated temporary public policy for nationals of Israel and the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents – Extension, signed on June 11, 2024;
- Updated temporary public policy for foreign nationals who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who left Israel or the Palestinian Territories on or after October 7, 2023 – Extension, signed on June 11, 2024; or
- Temporary public policy for foreign nationals of the Palestinian Territories who are in Canada as temporary residents, signed on July 31, 2025
Applicants must also meet the requirements of one of the following eligibility groups:
- Foreign nationals of Palestine who:
- hold a passport or travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority;
- are in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
- have not previously been granted an exemption under the current public policy.
- Foreign nationals who:
- are a family member, as defined in subsection 1(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023;
- left Palestine on or after October 7, 2023;
- are in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
- have not previously been granted an exemption under the current public policy.
Notes:
- Clients may only receive one extension under the exemptions provided by this public policy.
Clients are not eligible to apply under this public policy at a port of entry. - To be eligible for the above-noted measures, a foreign national family member is not required to have travelled to Canada with their Canadian citizen or permanent resident family member.
- Applications for work permit renewals submitted by Palestinian nationals are subject to all applicable application fees, including the biometrics enrolment fee (if applicable).
- Clients seeking to extend their stay as a visitor by applying for a visitor record, to extend their study permit or to extend their stay as a temporary resident permit (TRP) holder by applying for a subsequent or new TRP, can apply under regular pathways, subject to standard program requirements.
Family member definition
In these instructions, a family member is defined as per subsection 1(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) as
- the spouse or common-law partner of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
- the dependent children of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or of their spouse or common-law partner; and
- the dependent children of those dependent children (grandchildren of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or of their spouse or common-law partner)
A dependent child is a child who is
- under 22 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
- 22 years or older and unable to financially self-support due to a physical or mental condition
Valid temporary resident status
While this public policy does not include an "arrive by" date requirement, foreign nationals must have valid temporary resident status in Canada to be eligible. To meet the valid temporary resident status requirement in the eligibility criteria set out above, a foreign national must:
- be physically present in Canada at the time of application and when a decision is made.
- have been authorized to enter as a temporary resident under section 22 or 24 of the IRPA
- be within their period of authorized stay as a temporary resident
Important: With regards to presence in Canada and determining when a foreign national’s temporary resident status is effective, under section 47(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and subsection 183(4)(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), a foreign national who leaves Canada no longer holds temporary resident status. A foreign national must be re-examined and meet the requirements for entry as a temporary resident upon every return to Canada. This restarts the effective date of their temporary resident status. As such, travel outside Canada before applying under the public policy may affect an applicant’s eligibility.
Temporary absences, after submitting an application, do not, on their own, affect an applicant’s eligibility.
Officers should be satisfied that the applicant is in Canada before making a final decision. In addition to considering all documents provided by the applicant, officers may consult the Entry/Exit Program . If entry/exit results reveal that the applicant has left Canada, the officer should send a request for proof of status in Canada.
Maintained status
Clients who apply to extend or change the conditions of their stay before it expires maintain their status as per R183(5) while their application is processed. Officers should refer to Temporary residents: Maintained status during processing (previously called implied status) for additional instructions. This does not apply to temporary resident permit (TRP) holders. If the applicant is applying for a new or subsequent TRP, officers should refer to Temporary resident permits (TRPs) for additional guidance.
Program-specific special measures
Issuing work permit renewals in Canada
This public policy provides eligible foreign nationals with continued access to apply for a work permit renewal from within Canada, subject to standard application fees, and exempts applicants from the usual requirement to qualify for a work permit under an existing work permit category.
Eligible clients may apply to renew their existing work permit from within Canada, but may only receive one extension under the exemptions provided by this public policy.
Officers may encounter cases where a client has applied more than once for a work permit renewal. In such cases, the officer should verify whether the previous work permit renewal application was submitted between August 1, 2026 and December 30, 2027. In cases where a work permit renewal was already granted based on exemptions under this public policy, the client is not eligible for an additional renewal under this public policy, even if the duration was shortened due to passport or biometric validity.
While the public policy allows for the issuance of only one work permit renewal, it does not restrict the number of applications that may be submitted. For example, a previous refusal does not affect a client’s ability to submit a new application under this public policy.
Officers should refer to the Fee list.
The validity period of the work permit renewal is subject to the client’s passport or biometrics validity, as well as the discretion of the processing officer; however, officers may consider issuing the permit for up to 3 years from the date of decision.
Identifying previous work permits issued under a public policy
When determining whether a client has previously received a work permit extension under a relevant public policy, officers should review all available information in GCMS and supporting documentation provided by the client.
Clients should provide a copy of their current work permit with their application. Officers should review the work permit document, GCMS notes, application history, and permit remarks, where available.
Indicators that a previous work permit was issued under a relevant public policy may include:
- A copy of the client's current work permit provided with the application
- The remark "MOME2023"
- Remarks indicating that the work permit was issued under a public policy in support of persons affected by the situation in Palestine
- ORG ID O288915006251 or O2108439243122 associated to the previous application
Where there is uncertainty as to whether a client has previously been issued a work permit under an applicable public policy, officers should request functional guidance prior to rendering a decision.
Issuing open work permits in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with:
The exemptions under this public policy are granted under the authority of section 25.2 of the IRPA. Applicants are still required to meet the other requirements for work permit issuance.
In GCMS on the Application screen, officers should enter the information below in the specified fields:
| Field | Selection or input |
|---|---|
| Case type | 20 |
| Province of destination | Unknown |
| Exemption code | R01 Public policies issued under section A25.2 (inside Canada) This code should be entered manually |
| Employer | Open |
| Intended occupation | Open |
| NOC | 99999 |
| Conditions | Officers should ensure that instructions provided in Work permit issuance in the Global Case Management System (GCMS): Unrestricted are followed. If the applicant has not completed a medical examination and
|
| Biometrics | Work permit applicants are required to provide biometric information and pay the biometric fee – $85. The regular biometric exemptions apply (for example, age or 1 in 10). |
| User remarks (mandatory) | Palestine temporary public policy / Politique d’intérêt public temporaire visant la Palestine (always included) MOME2023 (only if client meets eligibility) |
| Duration | Officers hold the delegated authority to determine the authorized period of stay, but are encouraged to consider issuing the work permit renewal with a validity of up to 3 years or passport or biometric validity, whichever is first. |
Refusals for ineligible clients
Officers may encounter applications submitted from clients who are ineligible for this temporary public policy. If an officer has determined that the applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements, the application should be refused.
Officers should record their reasons for decision as per the instructions in: Decision making: Standard of review and process for making a reasonable decision. Refusal reasons should clearly indicate what requirements were not met and explain how the conclusion was reached.
If a refusal is warranted, officers should select “Other” ground, and include the following comment: You do not meet the eligibility requirements per the Temporary public policy to facilitate extensions of open work permits for foreign nationals in Canada who were facilitated under previous public policies for foreign nationals of Palestine.
Medical exams
Foreign nationals may be eligible for a medical reassessment or an exemption from a subsequent immigration medical examination (IME) under the Temporary public policy to exempt certain foreign nationals from the IME.
In-Canada supports
Important: Clients who meet the above eligibility must have a temporary resident document with the MOME2023 keyword in the remarks section at the bottom of the document. This remark ensures that clients can access IRCC-funded settlement services from service provider organizations.
Settlement Services
Eligible clients may access federally funded settlement services until December 31, 2026. To be eligible, they must show settlement service provider organizations their temporary resident document with the MOME2023 remark.
MOME2023 remark
The MOME2023 remark identifies clients who may be eligible for federally funded settlement services. Officers must include this remark on the client’s temporary residence document. Service provider organizations (SPOs) use this remark to determine whether a client qualifies for federally funded settlement services.
Amending temporary resident documents missing the MOME2023 remark
If an eligible client does not receive the MOME2023 remark at the port of entry or does not receive a subsequent document containing it, they will need to have their temporary resident document amended in order to access federally funded settlement services.
To initiate the amendment process, the client should notify IRCC through the crisis notification web form. The Client Support Centre will refer the case directly to the Humanitarian and Identity Operations Branch (HIOB). If the client is confirmed eligible for settlement services, their temporary resident document should be amended to include the MOME2023 remark.