Foreign nationals nominated by Canadian provinces and their spouses can now benefit from expedited work permit processing thanks to recent temporary measures implemented by Canada’s immigration department.

Effective June 2026, eligible applicants have a smoother path to maintaining their work authorization in Canada while awaiting the outcome of their permanent residence applications.

The new measures streamline the process for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants within Canada to obtain work permits without the requirement of an acknowledgment of receipt (AOR) for their permanent residence application.

The following in-Canada work permit applications are impacted:

• PNP bridging open work permits (BOWPs).
• PNP employer-specific work permits with expired nominations.
• Spousal open work permits for PNP applicants’ spouses.

Instead of an AOR, applicants can now submit an email confirmation of their PR application submission through the online portal, accompanied by proof of fee payment.

Officers are authorized to verify eligibility by confirming the receipt and pending status of an application for permanent residence (APR) in IRCC systems.

These alternative procedures apply to work permit applicants who have not yet received their AOR. Once an AOR is received, it must be submitted.

The temporary measures, effective as of June 9, 2026, are scheduled to remain in place until December 31, 2026.

IRCC released the operational bulletin detailing these measures on June 9, 2026, in response to delays in R10 completeness checks resulting in prolonged AOR processing times.

Out of 141 provincial nominees who applied for permanent residence through the PNP in late November 2024, none reported receiving their AOR before October 2025, as indicated by data shared on the CanadaVisa forum.

These extended processing times posed a risk of work authorization expiration for many applicants during the period between PR application submission and AOR receipt.