Express Entry CRS Changes 2026: What’s New for Your Score
October 16, 2026
Key takeaways
- As of the October 27, 2026 notice, only people who already hold a work permit issued under the earlier Haiti or Sudan measures can extend it under this policy, now until December 30, 2027.
- The fee waiver is gone for this extension: work permit extensions under the updated measures are now subject to standard processing fees.
- Visitors and study permit holders from Haiti or Sudan no longer have a special fee-exempt channel and must apply through IRCC's regular extension or restoration process.
- The separate Sudan family-based permanent residence pathway is a different program, and its intake has closed while applications already submitted are processed.
- Applying before your current permit expires normally gives you maintained status, letting you keep working under your old conditions while IRCC decides your extension.
Canada temporary measures Haiti Sudan changed on October 27, 2026: IRCC ended the fee-exempt renewal that visitors, students and workers once shared, and now only people who already hold a work permit issued under the earlier measures can extend it, at standard fees, until December 30, 2027. If you are a visitor or student from Haiti or Sudan, you must use IRCC’s regular extension channels instead.
What the Canada temporary measures Haiti Sudan notice of October 27, 2026 actually says
IRCC’s notice, titled “Canada updates temporary measures for people affected by crises in Haiti and Sudan,” was published on October 27, 2026, the same day the previous round of measures was due to expire. You can read it directly on the official notices page.
The update does three things:
- It extends the work-permit-only measure to December 30, 2027.
- It limits eligibility to people who already hold a valid work permit issued under the previous Haiti or Sudan temporary measures.
- It ends the fee exemption for this group. Work permit extension applications under the renewed measure now pay the standard processing fee, a change from earlier phases where the fee was waived.
This is a real shift from past renewals, which simply rolled the same fee-free terms forward for everyone, including visitors and students. This time, that broader group is left out. Anyone weighing a longer-term move rather than another short extension may also want to look at our overview of permanent residency options alongside this update.
Who is still covered, and who is not
If you hold a valid open work permit or employer-specific work permit issued under the Haiti or Sudan temporary measures, you can apply to extend it under the renewed policy, paying the regular fee.
If you are a Haitian or Sudanese visitor, study permit holder, or someone who has not yet applied under either country’s special measures, the October 27 update does not create a new fee-free path for you. You now need to use IRCC’s standard channels:
- Visitors extend status through a regular visitor record application.
- Study permit holders extend through the standard study permit extension process.
- Anyone wanting to switch status, for example from visitor to worker, now follows the ordinary rules for that change rather than the earlier simplified special-measures route.
This distinction matters because several news summaries blur it. The clearest way to think about it: as of October 27, 2026, there are three separate tracks, not one.
The three tracks, side by side
| Track | Who it’s for | Fees | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit extension (Haiti/Sudan special measures) | People who already hold a work permit issued under the earlier Haiti or Sudan measures | Standard processing fees apply | Extended to December 30, 2027 |
| Sudan family-based permanent residence pathway | Family members in Canada connected to Sudanese nationals affected by the conflict | Set by the pathway’s own rules | Intake is closed; applications already accepted are being processed |
| Standard visitor, study or status-change applications | Haitian or Sudanese nationals who are visitors, students, or not covered by the work permit measure | Regular IRCC fees | Ongoing, through normal channels |
How we got here: a quick timeline
Sudan’s measures began after conflict broke out in April 2023, announced April 24 and effective April 30, 2023, following fighting in Khartoum and across the country that has displaced approximately 12 million people, according to an IRCC Question Period note. Haiti’s measures followed on May 23, 2024, letting Haitians with valid temporary status apply for a study permit, open work permit, or status extension at no cost.
Both sets of measures were renewed more than once:
- Sudan, extended beyond October 28, 2025, with fee-free new permits and status changes still available at that point.
- Haiti, extended beyond November 20, 2025, on the same fee-free basis.
- A June 9, 2026 update revised IRCC’s internal processing instructions for Haiti, Sudan and other crisis responses, a procedural clarification rather than a change to fees or eligibility.
- October 27, 2026, the update covered in this article, which narrows eligibility to existing work permit holders and ends the fee waiver.
For background on the Haiti measures as they stood before this update, see the official Haiti temporary measures page, and for Sudan, the Sudan nationals measures page. If your own situation touches on broader permanent residency planning rather than just a temporary extension, our Canada immigration page outlines the main routes, including Express Entry and the Provincial Nominee Programs.
The Sudan family permanent residence pathway: separate, and now closed to new applicants
It is worth keeping this pathway distinct from the work permit extension, because they are often confused. The family-based permanent residence pathway for people affected by the Sudan conflict was designed to welcome approximately 10,000 people, with IRCC accepting 1,700 applications starting February 25, 2025. According to IRCC’s own 2026 transition materials, intake for this pathway has now closed, and applications already received are being processed. If you already applied under this stream, nothing in the October 27 notice changes your application. If you have not applied, this door is currently shut, separate from the work permit question. Details on eligibility as it stood are on the Sudan family members page. If your family is considering sponsorship as an alternative, see our family sponsorship assessment form for how that separate process works.
What this means if your work permit is close to expiring
If you hold a work permit issued under the Haiti or Sudan measures and it is approaching its expiry date, timing matters. Apply for your extension before your current permit expires, and you benefit from maintained status, sometimes called implied status, which lets you keep working under your existing conditions while IRCC decides your new application.
If your permit has already lapsed, the sources available do not clearly confirm whether you can still apply under the renewed October 2026 measure. This is a genuine open question that IRCC has not addressed in the material published so far, so anyone in this position should confirm directly with IRCC or a licensed consultant before assuming the usual maintained-status rule applies.
One related point that often catches people out: restoration of status, the process for applying after a permit has already expired, is not covered by the special measures. The restoration fee applies on top of any other fees, as noted on the official Sudan measures page. Readers extending or renewing a work authorization more generally may also find our free assessment forms useful for working out how standard extensions apply outside these special measures.
Common situations that still need clarity
- Switching from visitor to worker. Under the earlier Sudan measures, people could change their temporary resident status, for example from visitor to worker, without the usual fee. That flexibility was tied to the special measures broadly. Since the October 27 update narrows eligibility to existing work permit holders, anyone wanting to make this switch now should expect to use the standard change-of-status process and pay the regular fee.
- Lost or unavailable passports. Sudanese nationals approved for permanent residence who cannot obtain a passport because of the conflict can still be issued a visa, with IRCC allowing entry using a Single Journey Travel Document under these conditions. This applies to the PR pathway specifically, not automatically to the work permit extension.
- Family members of Canadians. Under IRCC’s definition, a family member means a spouse or common-law partner, a dependent child, or a dependent child of a dependent child. Eligibility rules for family members under both the Haiti and Sudan measures have required that the applicant and their family member in Canada left the affected country within specific windows and hold valid temporary status at the time of application and decision.
- Being physically in Canada. Across both the Haiti and Sudan measures, applicants have needed to be in Canada with valid temporary resident status both when they apply and when a decision is made. This has not changed under the October 27 update for those who remain eligible.
How VisaVoy Immigration can help
Rules like these change in ways that are easy to misread, especially when a notice narrows eligibility rather than simply extending it. VisaVoy Immigration works through these updates with clients from Haiti and Sudan regularly, checking which of the three tracks actually applies to a person’s situation, whether that’s a work permit extension, a standing PR application, or a standard visitor or study permit matter. We do not interpret government policy as a guarantee of any outcome, and timelines and fees can shift again, so always check the official IRCC notices page for the current version. If you want help working out where you stand, you can reach our team through our contact page or book the free 20-minute consultation through our offer page to go through your specific dates and document history.
Questions people ask
What are the Canada temporary measures Haiti Sudan changes announced on October 27, 2026?
IRCC narrowed the earlier fee-exempt measures so that, as of October 27, 2026, only people who already hold a work permit issued under the previous Haiti or Sudan special measures can extend it, now until December 30, 2027. Standard processing fees apply to this extension, and visitors or students no longer have a special fee-free path under this policy.
Can I still apply for a fee-exempt work permit, study permit or visitor extension as a Haitian or Sudanese national?
No. The fee waiver that previously covered work permits, study permits and visitor extensions has ended for new applicants. Only existing work permit holders from the earlier measures can extend under the renewed policy, and they now pay the standard processing fee, while visitors and students use IRCC's regular channels.
Is the Sudan family permanent residence pathway still open?
No, intake for the Sudan family-based permanent residence pathway has closed. Applications already submitted are still being processed, but this pathway is separate from the October 27, 2026 work permit extension and is not affected by that notice.
What happens if my work permit under the Haiti or Sudan measures has already expired?
The published material does not clearly confirm whether someone whose permit has already lapsed can still apply under the renewed October 2026 measure. Anyone in this situation should confirm directly with IRCC or speak with a licensed consultant rather than assume the usual maintained-status rule applies.
Will applying before my permit expires protect my work status?
Generally yes. If you apply to extend your work permit before it expires, you typically benefit from maintained status, which lets you keep working under your existing conditions while IRCC processes your application. This has not changed under the October 27, 2026 update for those who remain eligible.
Sources: Notices — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – Canada.ca · Measures for Haitian nationals / passport holders and family members in Canada · Conflict in Sudan: Measures for Sudanese nationals in Canada – Canada.ca · Conflict in Sudan – Temporary measures for family members in Canada – Canada.ca · Question Period Note: Sudan
