Overview
- The federal government published a temporary public policy that took effect on Sept. 4, 2026, allowing eligible work‑permit holders to study for up to six months without a separate study permit.
- To use the exemption a person must hold a valid work permit and the program must be six months or less and cannot extend past the work permit's expiry.
- The policy is time‑limited, may be revoked at any time, does not create a new immigration pathway, and does not allow full‑time study that requires a study permit.
- Officials say the change is designed to help workers gain short training or licensing needed for jobs such as trades, nursing and lab technology and that notifications to eligible workers began in early September 2026.
- The measure succeeds a similar 2023–2026 policy, affects a large temporary population (about 1.5 million work‑permit‑only holders as of June 30, 2026), and is set to remain in place until Dec. 31, 2027 unless revoked.