New IRCC Policy Allows Work Permit Holders to Study for Up to 6 Months Without a Study Permit

Updated: September 9, 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced a new temporary public policy that gives eligible work permit holders in Canada greater flexibility to pursue short-term education or training without obtaining a separate study permit.

The new measure came into effect on September 4, 2026 and is currently scheduled to remain in effect until December 31, 2027, unless it is revoked earlier.

What Changed?

Under paragraph 188(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), a foreign national may generally study in Canada without a study permit if:

• the course or program is six months or less; and
• the studies can be completed within the period of stay that was authorized when the person entered Canada.

The second requirement could create a problem for some foreign workers.

For example, a worker may have entered Canada under one period of authorized stay and later received a new or extended work permit from inside Canada. Even though the worker now holds valid status for a longer period, the wording of R188(1)(c) refers specifically to the period of stay authorized upon entry into Canada.

The new temporary public policy addresses this issue.

Who Is Eligible?

Under the new public policy, the eligibility requirement is straightforward:

The foreign national must hold a valid work permit.

For eligible work permit holders, IRCC may exempt them from the R188(1)(c) requirement that the short-term course or program be completed within the period of stay originally authorized upon entry into Canada.

This means that an eligible worker with a subsequently issued or extended work permit may be able to take a short-term course or program without first obtaining a study permit.

How Long Can You Study?

The course or program must still be six months or less.

The new policy does not remove the six-month limitation contained in R188(1)(c).

The authorization under the public policy is available only until the earliest of:

• the expiry of the worker’s valid work permit;
• the expiry of the temporary public policy on December 31, 2027; or
• an earlier revocation of the public policy by IRCC.

Therefore, workers considering a course should carefully compare the length of the program with the validity of their work permit.

What If Your Work Permit Is Extended?

This is one of the most important aspects of the new policy.

The policy was specifically introduced to address situations where a foreign national holds a valid work permit but their current period of authorized stay does not correspond to the period that was originally authorized when they entered Canada.

IRCC has also begun contacting certain work permit holders directly to advise them that they have been identified as eligible under the new measure.

Workers who receive such an email should keep a copy for their records. IRCC advises that the email may be provided to an educational institution, if requested, as confirmation that IRCC has identified the individual as eligible, subject to all applicable requirements.

Important: Maintained Status Does Not Extend This Study Authorization

Workers should be particularly careful when their work permit is approaching expiry.

According to IRCC’s individual notification regarding this new measure, authorization to study under the policy ends when the applicable work permit expires.

This means that a person should not assume that filing a work permit extension and obtaining maintained status automatically allows them to continue studying under this particular public policy after the existing work permit expires.

This is an important distinction because maintained status may allow an eligible worker to continue working under the conditions of their previous work permit while IRCC processes an extension, but the study authorization under this new measure is tied to holding the valid work permit.

What If the Program Is Longer Than 6 Months?

A program lasting longer than six months is not covered by this new public policy.

If you intend to take a program that is longer than six months, you will generally need to apply for and obtain a study permit, unless another study permit exemption applies to your situation.

Workers should therefore avoid assuming that simply holding a work permit allows them to enroll in a one-year or two-year college program without a study permit.

The new 2026 policy is limited to courses or programs of six months or less.

How Is This Different From the Previous Work Permit Holder Study Policy?

This distinction is particularly important.

IRCC previously introduced a temporary public policy in June 2023 that allowed certain workers to study without a study permit. That measure applied only to a specific group of workers connected to work permit applications made on or before June 7, 2023.

Under that earlier measure, eligible workers could potentially undertake programs longer than six months while the temporary policy remained applicable to them.

That previous measure expired in June 2026.

The new policy effective September 4, 2026 is different.

It is focused on workers who currently hold valid work permits, but the program or course must remain six months or less.

Therefore, workers should not rely on information about the old 2023 public policy when assessing eligibility under the new 2026 measure.

Can You Work and Study at the Same Time?

Holding a work permit and qualifying for this study permit exemption does not remove the conditions attached to the work permit.

Workers must continue to comply with the conditions of their work authorization.

For example, a person holding an employer-specific work permit remains subject to the employer, occupation and location conditions appearing on the work permit, where applicable.

If studying would require changes to the worker’s employment arrangements, the worker should ensure that those changes do not result in a violation of their immigration conditions or employment obligations.

Practical Example

Consider a foreign worker who entered Canada and was originally authorized to remain until March 2026.

Before that authorization expired, the worker successfully applied for a work permit extension and received a new work permit valid until March 2027.

The worker now wants to complete a four-month professional certification course.

Under the ordinary wording of R188(1)(c), the requirement that the course be completed during the period of stay authorized upon entry could create an issue.

Under the new temporary public policy, however, the worker may be exempted from that particular requirement because they currently hold a valid work permit.

Provided the other applicable requirements are satisfied, the four-month course may therefore be completed without obtaining a separate study permit.

Key Takeaways for Work Permit Holders

As of September 4, 2026:

• A foreign national holding a valid work permit may qualify under the new temporary public policy.
• The course or program must be six months or less.
• The policy addresses the R188(1)(c) requirement concerning the period of stay authorized upon entry to Canada.
• A separate application is not necessarily required to benefit from the measure.
• Some eligible workers are receiving notification emails directly from IRCC.
• Workers receiving an IRCC eligibility email should keep it and may use it as supporting evidence with their educational institution.
• Authorization cannot extend beyond the validity of the applicable work permit or the public policy.
• The policy is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2027, unless revoked earlier.
• Programs longer than six months generally continue to require a study permit.
• Workers considering full-time studies should review possible implications for permanent residence eligibility and Canadian work experience before enrolling.

Before You Enroll

The new policy creates a useful opportunity for temporary foreign workers who want to upgrade their skills, complete short professional training, obtain credentials or pursue licensing requirements while working in Canada.

However, eligibility to study without a study permit is only one part of the immigration analysis. The effect of studying on work authorization, permanent residence eligibility, Express Entry work experience and future immigration applications should also be considered.

If you are a work permit holder considering a course or training program in Canada, it is recommended that you review your current work permit, the duration of the proposed program and your long-term immigration plans before registering.

Atlantic Summit Immigration Consulting Inc.
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC)

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Immigration policies and program requirements may change, and individual circumstances should be assessed separately.