Still Waiting on the 2021 TR-to-PR Pathway? Your Open Work Permit Deadline Is December 31, 2026

If you applied for permanent residence back in 2021 under one of the Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident (TR-to-PR) pathway streams and you're still waiting on a decision, this post is for you. IRCC keeps a special open work permit open for people in exactly your position — one that lets you keep working for almost any employer while your PR file sits in the queue. But there's a firm cut-off you need to know: the deadline to apply is December 31, 2026, and any permit issued cannot run past that date either.

Here's what the measure does, who qualifies, and why the calendar matters this year.

A quick reminder of what the TR-to-PR pathway was

In 2021, Canada opened a one-time set of PR streams for people already in the country — essential workers, international graduates, and French-speaking applicants — as a response to the pandemic-era labour crunch. Applications were accepted for a limited window, and the pathway is now closed to new applicants. But some of those 2021 files are still being processed years later, and that's where the open work permit comes in.

Important: this measure does not reopen the pathway. It only supports people who already applied in 2021 and are still waiting.

What the open work permit gives you

This is a temporary public policy open work permit, and it has two real advantages for people stuck in the queue:

• It's an open permit. You can work in any occupation, for any employer in Canada — no job offer and no Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) required.
• It reduces the yearly renewal grind. Instead of re-applying for status every 12 months, eligible applicants and their family members can hold a permit that runs through to the end of 2026, cutting the risk of status gaps.

Who can apply

According to IRCC's official page, a principal applicant generally needs to meet all of the following:

1. Be in Canada at the time of applying.
2. Have a PR application already submitted under one of the 2021 TR-to-PR streams.
3. Have been legally authorized to work when you applied (a valid work permit, work without a permit, or work under a public policy).
4. Have met the language requirement with valid test results at the time of your PR application.
5. Hold valid temporary resident status, be on maintained status, or be eligible to restore your status.

Accompanying family members — a spouse or common-law partner, and dependent children 18 or older — may also qualify if they were included as accompanying family in the principal applicant's PR application and meet the status requirements while in Canada.

Why the December 31, 2026 deadline matters

Two dates work against you here, and they're the same date:

• You must apply on or before December 31, 2026. Miss it and this specific open work permit is no longer available to you.
• The permit itself cannot be issued past December 31, 2026 — and it also can't run longer than your passport or biometrics validity. So even an approved permit stops at year-end.

With processing and mail-in timelines being what they are, December 31 is not a date to leave to the last week. If your current status is drifting toward its expiry in the second half of 2026, apply with a comfortable buffer so you're filing on valid or maintained status rather than scrambling to restore it.

A note on fees

Applicants under this public policy are exempt from the $100 open-work-permit holder fee, but you still pay the standard $155 work permit processing fee when you apply online. Always confirm current fees on Canada.ca before you submit, since amounts and exemptions can change.

What to do right now

• Confirm you're actually a 2021 TR-to-PR applicant still in the queue — this measure is narrow and doesn't apply to other PR streams.
• Check your current status and its expiry date, and don't let it lapse before you apply.
• Read the official policy on IRCC's page for open work permits under the TR-to-PR pathway so you're working from the current rules, not third-party summaries.
• Diary the deadline now — treat any date in late 2026 as "apply well before," not "apply on."

Talk to us

If you're one of the applicants still waiting on a 2021 TR-to-PR decision and you're unsure whether you — or your family members — qualify for this open work permit before the year-end deadline, the team at JSR Immigration & Legals is happy to help you sort out your options — get in touch.

This post is general information only and reflects what was publicly known as of July 11, 2026. It is not legal advice. Eligibility and permit validity under this public policy are determined by IRCC on a case-by-case basis — confirm current rules with Canada.ca or a qualified professional before acting.