On July 15, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) circulated an internal program-delivery update clarifying how officers must process open work-permit requests from Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) holders applying under Immigration Regulation 208(b), administrative code H82. The biggest change is the emphasis on a single-permit six-month validity test. Applicants can no longer “stack” multiple shorter TRPs to reach the threshold; the humanitarian-based TRP on hand must itself be valid for at least six months on the date the work-permit application is received. The update also makes explicit that spouses and dependants are **not** covered by the principal applicant’s TRP and must qualify independently if they wish to work. IRCC is steering applicants toward the correct fee strategy as well. Because code H82 is exempt from the CAD 100 open-work-permit-holder fee, officers are instructed to refund that charge automatically when it is paid in error. The guidance recommends that applicants instead pay the CAD 155 processing fee “outside the portal” and upload the receipt to avoid delays. Operationally, officers may now accept a broader range of documents—bank statements, social-assistance letters, sworn affidavits—as proof that the applicant cannot support themselves without work. At the same time, officers must record detailed GCMS notes explaining any refusal, ensuring transparency and consistency for future judicial reviews. For employers and immigration counsel, the update means TRP clients who meet the six-month rule can realistically obtain an open work permit in eight to ten weeks, instead of waiting for a discretionary decision with no clear criteria. Corporations that rely on humanitarian TRP holders—for example, victims of trafficking who are transitioning into the regular labour market—now have a clearer compliance roadmap, while applicants gain earlier labour-market access and a measure of financial stability.
Source: Immigration2Canada.com
