Work and study in Canada? The June 27, 2026 deadline could catch you

Let me start by being honest: this June 27, 2026 deadline does not catch me. I arrived in Vancouver in September 2024 as a student. I have a study permit and a co-op, not the kind of work permit this policy covers. And it is exactly because I am outside it that I can explain who it does catch, without the panic I see running around in the Brazilian groups. There is a temporary IRCC policy, in effect since June 27, 2023, that let a specific group of foreign workers study in Canada without needing a separate study permit. That policy dies on June 27, 2026, exactly three years after it was born.

And the detail of who is inside and who is outside that group is where almost everyone gets it wrong. So let me lay out, carefully, what changes, for whom, and the catch that could cost you your PGWP.

What changes on June 27, 2026?

Starting June 27, 2026, the temporary public policy that let certain foreign workers study in Canada without a study permit ceases to exist. Anyone who was studying under this rule and wants to continue their program after that date will need a valid study permit to remain authorized to study. IRCC created the policy on June 27, 2023, with a three-year validity.

While it was in effect, the rule let eligible workers study full-time or part-time without obtaining a study permit, and, importantly, it removed the old restriction that limited that study to programs of six months or less. It was a real flexibility: you could take a longer course while working, without going through the study permit process. That flexibility is what ends on the 27th.

Who is affected by this deadline?

Only a specific group: those who held a work permit that they applied for by June 7, 2023, or a letter authorizing work while IRCC processed the renewal, submitted by June 7, 2023. If you applied for your work permit after June 7, 2023, you were never covered by this policy: it does not catch you, because you have been following the normal study permit rules from the start.

That is why I said this deadline does not reach me: I arrived in September 2024 and I am a student (study permit plus co-op), not the holder of a standalone work permit. But there is one more detail within the covered group itself: the study authorization was valid until whichever came first, the expiry of your work permit or June 27, 2026. So many people in the group already hit the end of their work permit before the deadline. June 27 truly matters for those who are eligible and have a work permit valid past that date and are in the middle of a program. If you arrived in 2022 or early 2023, working, and used this rule to study, your calendar is the one that needs attention now.

Does studying under this policy give you the right to a PGWP?

No, and this is the catch that can cost you dearly. IRCC makes it explicit that completing a program using this temporary policy does not create eligibility for the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). Even if you finish a valid program by studying without a study permit under this rule, that credential does not qualify you for the PGWP, the post-study work document that is the most common bridge to PR.

This point dismantles a dangerous illusion. Many Brazilians see studying in Canada as a three-step path: study, get the PGWP, use the Canadian experience to score on Express Entry. Anyone who studied relying on this temporary exception does not open the PGWP step with that program. If the PGWP is your goal, the path is still a real study permit, in an eligible program at a designated learning institution (DLI). Treating the exception as a shortcut to the PGWP is the kind of mistake that only shows up later, when it can no longer be undone.

What to do before June 27, 2026?

If you are in the covered group and you will keep studying after the deadline, apply for a study permit well in advance. IRCC itself recommends applying well before June 27 so you do not end up with a gap in your study authorization between the end of the policy and the approval of the new permit. Processing takes time, and studying without authorization is not a risk worth taking.

In practice, there are three quick checks. First: the date you applied for your work permit, was it by June 7, 2023? Second: does your program run past June 27, 2026? Third: is your work permit valid beyond that date? If all three answers are “yes”, you are exactly the person who needs a new study permit before the deadline. And note: this is about your study authorization. Your work permit itself is not affected by this expiry; you remain authorized to work under its terms.

What would I do in your place?

I would look at the calendar today, not on June 26. Immigration is too expensive a decision to run on guesswork, and an authorization deadline is the kind of thing that does not forgive delay. If I had any doubt about whether I was in the covered group, or about whether my program qualifies for anything, I would pay for 30 minutes of consultation with an RCIC or an immigration lawyer, because that bill is cheaper than a semester studying without authorization or a PGWP plan that never existed. I would not take a Facebook group comment as truth about a date that, if I get it wrong, leaves me studying illegally. The official IRCC source is free and one click away; the peace of mind of checking first is worth the click.

Sources

• IRCC, Public policy allowing some work permit holders to study without a study permit (canada.ca): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/special-instructions/workers-study-without-study-permit.html
• IRCC, Temporary public policy to allow foreign nationals with valid work permits to study without a study permit (canada.ca): https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/mandate/policies-operational-instructions-agreements/public-policies/study-without-study-permit.html

This post is not legal or immigration advice. I am a Brazilian in Vancouver, reading and commenting on IRCC public policies. Dates and criteria change, and your case may have particularities. Always confirm on the official IRCC page and, for specific decisions, consult an immigration lawyer licensed in Canada or an RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant).