A cream page of soft plum text lines beneath a gold-rimmed magnifying glass with a plum handle, its lens revealing a smaller, sharper document bearing a gold seal.

Workers who need to adjust their schedules to attend class must still obtain their employer’s agreement, and those with employer-specific permits must also consider the compliance rules governing their employment. The change is easy to miss because Canada already had a rule allowing short-term study without a study permit.

Old rule: study was limited to the period authorized on entry

Paragraph 188(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations contains two requirements.

The second requirement caused difficulty for some workers who extended their status from inside Canada. Their current work permit allowed them to remain and work in Canada, but the period granted when they originally entered the country had already ended. The wording of paragraph 188(1)(c) still looked back to that original period.

New policy: study may continue until the current work permit expires

The temporary public policy took effect on September 4, 2026 under section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It temporarily expands the second requirement under paragraph 188(1)(c) of the IRPR for anyone who holds a valid work permit. Now, a qualifying worker can take a course lasting six months or less even after the period granted on their original entry has ended.

The current work permit becomes the important document. Your permission to study ends when the work permit expires, the policy expires, or the policy is revoked. The earliest date applies. This policy is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2027.

A simple example. A worker entered Canada in 2024 with permission to remain until 2025. The worker later extended the work permit from inside Canada, and the new permit is valid until March 2027. In October 2026, the worker wants to begin a four-month certificate program. Under the old rule, the period granted on entry ended in 2025, so paragraph 188(1)(c) did not cover the course. Under the new policy, the worker may complete the four-month certificate without a study permit because the current work permit remains valid until after the course ends.

The six-month limit remains. The policy removes only the requirement tied to the person’s original entry into Canada. It does not allow a person to continue studying after the current work permit expires.

This policy is also different from the earlier measure that operated from June 27, 2023 to June 27, 2026. That measure applied only to workers whose permit or renewal application was received by June 7, 2023. It could cover programs longer than six months. The current policy is open to anyone with a valid work permit, but the program cannot exceed six months.

IRCC’s current instructions confirm several practical points. A qualifying worker does not have to follow a study-related restriction printed on the work permit. A valid work permit is the document to show a learning institution when it asks for proof. In Quebec, an eligible worker is also temporarily exempt from obtaining a Quebec Acceptance Certificate for the same short program.

A co-op placement may require another employer-specific work permit when the placement involves a different employer or occupation. An open work permit holder does not need a new permit for the placement. IRCC also warns that work experience gained while studying full-time under this policy will not count toward Canadian Experience Class eligibility or Canadian work-experience points in the Comprehensive Ranking System.

Studying does not change the employment contract

Permission to study does not give a worker permission to miss work or change scheduled hours. IRCC tells workers to reach an agreement with their employer when a course requires a change to the employment contract. IRCC gives working fewer hours as an example.

The Employment Standards Act, 2000 provides several job-protected leaves, but it does not provide a general leave for education. A worker who needs different hours should review the employment contract, workplace policies, and any collective agreement before approaching the employer. An employer will usually be able to approve or refuse a request made only for study purposes.

Any approved arrangement should be put in writing. A short amendment can record the new schedule, changes to wages or benefits, the start and end dates, and when the employee will return to the former schedule. It should also confirm that the employee requested the change.

A significant reduction in hours or pay imposed by an employer may amount to constructive dismissal. The result depends on the contract, the size and duration of the change, and the surrounding circumstances. The Supreme Court of Canada explains the governing framework in Potter v New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission. An employee who stops attending scheduled shifts without approval may face discipline or termination. The seriousness of the response will depend on the facts.

The Ontario Human Rights Code protects employees from discrimination on grounds that include citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, disability, family status, and creed. Education is not a protected ground. A schedule request connected to disability, family status, creed, or another protected ground may still engage the duty to accommodate. The employer should understand why the employee needs the change before responding.

Reduced working hours and employer compliance

An employer-specific work permit ties the worker to the employer named on the permit. That employer also has federal compliance duties. For a worker hired without a labour market impact assessment, section 209.2 of the Regulations generally requires the employer to provide the occupation, wages, and working conditions set out in the offer of employment. Any differences must remain substantially the same and no less favourable to the worker. Section 209.3 imposes a parallel duty on employers who hired through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program with a positive labour market impact assessment.

Reducing weekly hours may change the working conditions and weekly earnings described in the offer of employment. The regulations identify several circumstances that can justify a difference. A voluntary reduction requested by a worker for study is not expressly included.

The published guidance does not fully explain how these rules fit together. IRCC says that a worker and employer may agree to fewer hours. It does not explain how an officer would assess that agreement during an employer-compliance inspection. Sections 209.2 and 209.3 also do not say whether a worker’s voluntary request makes the new terms acceptable.

Before reducing the hours of an employer-specific work permit holder, the parties should compare the proposed arrangement with the offer of employment, the work permit, and any labour market impact assessment. The written record should confirm that the employee requested the change voluntarily, that the hourly wage and occupation remain unchanged, and that the arrangement is temporary. The employer may need immigration advice before putting the new schedule in place. A written agreement helps explain what happened, but it does not guarantee that an inspector will find the employer compliant.

A practical checklist

A worker considering a short program should confirm:

An employer considering a request should confirm:

The key point

For a person with a valid work permit, the date on the current permit now matters more than the period granted on the person’s original entry into Canada. The course must still last six months or less and must end before the current work permit expires.

Get advice that connects immigration and employment law

Chressa Law advises workers and employers on Canadian immigration and work permits and the employment-law implications of workforce changes.

Speak with a lawyer