On January 16, 2026, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced new measures to make it easier for Ukrainians who have applied for family reunification (Ukrainian family reunification pathway) to extend their stay in Canada while their application for permanent residence is being processed.
This means that applicants (and their families) who have already applied for this PR pathway will be able to apply for or extend their temporary residence documents without having to wait for an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) for their PR application.
Who is affected by the changes
The changes apply to those who have applied or been included in an application for the permanent residence pathway for Ukrainians with relatives in Canada.
Important: the PR pathway itself is now closed to new applications — the temporary public policy ended on October 22, 2024, but IRCC continues to process applications submitted up to and including that date.
What exactly has been extended: what temporary status options are available
IRCC reports that eligible applicants will have until March 31, 2027, to apply from Canada for one of the following options:
- a new open work permit;
- an extension of a current work permit;
- a new study permit;
- an extension or restoration of temporary status.
Key detail: you can apply for these options even if you have not yet received an AOR for your PR application.
It is also noted that standard fees apply.
Separately about “restoration” (status restoration): an important deadline
The IRCC page with practical instructions on temporary status under this policy contains a critical nuance:
- If your status was lost more than 90 days ago, in certain cases you may be eligible for restoration under this policy, but you must apply for restoration before March 31, 2026.
(For situations where status was lost less than 90 days ago, restoration occurs through the normal status restoration process.)
Why this decision is important
These changes effectively give people who have already applied for PR through family reunification a more predictable “bridge” while waiting for a decision:
- you can legally stay in Canada longer;
- if necessary, work (through an open work permit);
- or study (through a study permit);
- and not “fall out” of legal status while the PR application is being processed.