Canada Grants FIFA Workers Work Permit Exemption for 2026 Events

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) has announced a temporary public policy exempting foreign national FIFA workers from work permit requirements during the 2026 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Congress and World Cup.

Conditions (eligibility requirements)

Officers may grant an exemption from the requirements of the regulations identified below to a foreign national seeking to enter Canada if the foreign national:

1. Has applied for a temporary resident visa and has requested to enter and depart Canada between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, or is seeking to enter and depart Canada between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026.
2. Holds a letter of invitation from FIFA that states:
   1. the foreign national
      1. is an employee of FIFA or one of its affiliates;
      2. holds a contract for goods and services with FIFA or one of its affiliates, or
      3. has been sub-contracted by an entity referred to in (ii); and
   2. the foreign national will be performing work, as defined in section 2 of the Regulations, for a period between the dates of December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026, that is directly related to, and critically supports, an official FIFA-organized event; and
3. Has been listed on the FIFA microsite as having received a letter of invitation from FIFA.

The exemption granted will apply until July 31, 2026, or upon the revocation of this public policy, whichever comes first.

Provisions of the Regulations for which an exemption may be granted

• Paragraph 183(1)(b) – the condition to not work unless authorized by Part 9 or 11 of the Regulations.
• Section 196 – the requirement to be authorized to work in Canada by a work permit or the Regulations.

Foreign nationals eligible under this public policy are subject to all other legislative eligibility and admissibility requirements not exempted under this, or another, public policy.

Erickson Insights & Analysis

Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.