Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada updated temporary crisis measures on October 27, 2026, for Haitian and Sudanese nationals in the country who cannot return home. The extension route is limited to eligible people with a valid work permit issued under the previous measures.
Applicants using that route must pay standard processing fees. The updated measures expire on December 30, 2027, according to the department’s notice.
The agency described the change as targeted support for people who cannot return and need to support themselves. It does not open the same extension route to everyone affected by the crises.
Visitor and study extensions use regular application channels
Free toolCanada Express Entry Points CalculatorPeople seeking to extend visitor status or a study permit can apply through the department’s existing channels. Those applications are separate from the measure for eligible holders of permits issued under the earlier crisis provisions.
The department’s announcement describes its extension route in terms of existing valid permit holders. It also says applicants must pay standard processing fees.
Earlier Haiti provisions included fee relief and family eligibility
The previous Haiti measures covered more than people seeking to extend a permit under the latest update. They waived typical processing fees for status extensions or changes, and allowed fee-exempt study and work permits. Haitians ready to apply for permanent residence could proceed without a passport because of difficulties obtaining one.
The earlier provisions included Haitian nationals in the country with valid temporary resident status. They could seek to change or extend status as a worker, student, visitor or temporary resident permit holder.
The measures also covered certain family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who fled Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, arrived by April 26, 2024, and held temporary resident status. Foreign national relatives had to meet an additional condition: Global Affairs Canada must have assisted their departure from Haiti between March 1 and April 26, 2024.
Applicants in that group needed proof of their departure, relationship and current status. They also had to be in the country when they applied and when the department made its decision. Restoration of temporary resident status was not covered by the fee exemption.
The department extended temporary measures for people already in the country in response to the Haiti crisis in November 2025. The latest update instead sets out the limited extension route for eligible holders of earlier crisis-related permits.
June guidance covered four crisis-response programs
On June 9, 2026, the department revised its Program Delivery Instructions for temporary special measures in the country related to Haiti, Palestine, Sudan and Ukraine. The guidance clarified temporary resident status requirements and confirmed that an application to restore status could be filed alongside an extension application.
It also gave direction on the Entry/Exit Program, standardized refusal language for client correspondence and reiterated that crisis-related applications had to be tracked using ORG IDs. The revised instructions added information about Transitional Financial Assistance for people and families affected by the crisis in Gaza.
At the time, the department said the measures remained in effect until the expiry dates listed for each crisis, and no dates had changed. The new update changes the expiry schedule for the Haiti and Sudan measures.
The department cited continuing instability in both countries
The agency said its approach was consistent with how it had handled other groups affected by crises. It framed the measures as focused assistance for people unable to return home and support themselves.
“focused support to individuals who can't return home and need to support themselves, while maintaining a sustainable immigration system”
The notice cited continuing volatility in Haiti and Sudan as the reason for the update. The revised expiry date for the measures is December 30, 2027.
