diff --git a/cmd/milo/controller-manager/controllermanager.go b/cmd/milo/controller-manager/controllermanager.go
index 7de15bb9..3cd896a8 100644
--- a/cmd/milo/controller-manager/controllermanager.go
+++ b/cmd/milo/controller-manager/controllermanager.go
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func NewCommand() *cobra.Command {
 	fs.StringVar(&AcceptInvitationRoleName, "accept-invitation-role-name", "iam.miloapis.com-acceptinvitation", "The name of the role that will be used to grant accept invitation permissions.")
 	fs.StringVar(&UserInvitationEmailTemplate, "user-invitation-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-userinvitationemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the user invitation email.")
 	fs.StringVar(&UserWaitlistPendingEmailTemplate, "user-waitlist-pending-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-userwaitlistemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the waitlist pending email.")
-	fs.StringVar(&UserWaitlistApprovedEmailTemplate, "user-waitlist-approved-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-userapprovedemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the waitlist approved email.")
+	fs.StringVar(&UserWaitlistApprovedEmailTemplate, "user-waitlist-approved-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-userwelcomeemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the waitlist approved email.")
 	fs.StringVar(&UserWaitlistRejectedEmailTemplate, "user-waitlist-rejected-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-userrejectedemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the waitlist rejected email.")
 	fs.StringVar(&PlatformInvitationEmailTemplate, "platform-invitation-email-template", "emailtemplates.notification.miloapis.com-platforminvitationemailtemplate", "The name of the template that will be used to send the platform invitation email.")
 	fs.StringVar(&WaitlistRelatedResourcesNamespace, "waitlist-related-resources-namespace", "milo-system", "The namespace that contains the waitlist related resources.")
diff --git a/internal/controllers/iam/user_controller.go b/internal/controllers/iam/user_controller.go
index 2dcd8d4c..8ab501a3 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/iam/user_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/iam/user_controller.go
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ func (r *UserController) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request) (ctrl.
 	// Capture the current status to detect changes later
 	oldUserStatus := user.Status.DeepCopy()
 
+	// Ensure platform access approval exists for new users
+	if err := r.ensurePlatformAccessApprovalToNewUsers(ctx, user); err != nil {
+		log.Error(err, "failed to ensure platform access approval to new users")
+		return ctrl.Result{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to ensure platform access approval to new users: %w", err)
+	}
 	// Get the user access approval status
 	registrationApproval, err := r.getUserAccessApprovalStatus(ctx, user)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -357,3 +362,49 @@ func (r *UserController) getUserAccessApprovalStatus(ctx context.Context, user *
 	return iamv1alpha1.RegistrationApprovalStatePending, nil
 
 }
+
+// ensurePlatformAccessApprovalToNewUsers ensures that a PlatformAccessApproval exists for new users
+func (r *UserController) ensurePlatformAccessApprovalToNewUsers(ctx context.Context, user *iamv1alpha1.User) error {
+	log := log.FromContext(ctx).WithName("ensure-platform-access-approval-to-new-users")
+
+	if user.Status.RegistrationApproval == "" {
+		paName := fmt.Sprintf("new-user-access-approval-%s", user.Name)
+
+		// Check if it has a PlatformAccessApproval related to email address or user reference
+		userReferences := []string{user.Spec.Email, user.Name}
+		for _, reference := range userReferences {
+			paas := &iamv1alpha1.PlatformAccessApprovalList{}
+			if err := r.Client.List(ctx, paas, client.MatchingFields{platformAccessApprovalIndexKey: reference}); err != nil {
+				log.Error(err, "failed to list platformaccessapprovals", "reference", reference)
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to list platformaccessapprovals: %w", err)
+			}
+			if len(paas.Items) > 0 {
+				return nil
+			}
+		}
+
+		// If here, this is a new user with not approval yet
+		platformAccessApproval := &iamv1alpha1.PlatformAccessApproval{
+			ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+				Name: paName,
+			},
+			Spec: iamv1alpha1.PlatformAccessApprovalSpec{
+				SubjectRef: iamv1alpha1.SubjectReference{
+					UserRef: &iamv1alpha1.UserReference{
+						Name: user.Name,
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		}
+		if err := r.Client.Create(ctx, platformAccessApproval); err != nil {
+			if apierrors.IsAlreadyExists(err) {
+				log.Info("PlatformAccessApproval already exists", "platformAccessApproval", platformAccessApproval.Name)
+				return nil
+			}
+			log.Error(err, "Failed to create PlatformAccessApproval")
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to create PlatformAccessApproval: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/controllers/iam/user_waitlist_controller.go b/internal/controllers/iam/user_waitlist_controller.go
index 8de43b96..a15f16cc 100644
--- a/internal/controllers/iam/user_waitlist_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controllers/iam/user_waitlist_controller.go
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ func (r *UserWaitlistController) getEmailTemplateName(condition iamv1alpha1.User
 }
 
 func (r *UserWaitlistController) getEmailVariables(condition iamv1alpha1.UserWaitlistEmailSentCondition, user *iamv1alpha1.User) []notificationv1alpha1.EmailVariable {
-	userName := fmt.Sprintf("%s %s", user.Spec.GivenName, user.Spec.FamilyName)
+	userName := user.Spec.GivenName
 	if userName == "" {
 		userName = user.Spec.Email
 	}
@@ -211,10 +211,6 @@ func (r *UserWaitlistController) getEmailVariables(condition iamv1alpha1.UserWai
 	switch condition {
 	case iamv1alpha1.UserWaitlistApprovedEmailSentCondition:
 		return []notificationv1alpha1.EmailVariable{
-			{
-				Name:  "ActionUrl",
-				Value: "https://cloud.datum.net",
-			},
 			{
 				Name:  "UserName",
 				Value: userName,