Big News!! Canada Government Ends Visitor to Work Permit from within Canada

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has declared that its provisional public policy permitting foreign visitors to submit work permit applications from within the nation will terminate immediately. First enacted in August 2020 in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy was originally scheduled to expire on February 28, 2025.

According to an announcement on the nation’s official website, people “who had held work permits in the previous 12 months but who changed their status in Canada to ‘visitor'” as a result of job losses or other disruptions brought on by the epidemic stood to benefit most from the policy.

“The IRCC is terminating the temporary policy following our broader efforts to rebalance the number of temporary residents in Canada and maintain the integrity of the immigration system, even though the program was scheduled to expire on February 28, 2025.

On Wednesday, a statement released on the Canadian government’s website stated, “IRCC is also aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”

Introduction

This regulation will no longer allow visitors to Canada to apply for work permits as of August 28, 2024. Applications filed before this date will still be processed, the IRCC has said.

The goal of the decision is to maintain the integrity of the immigration system and control the number of temporary residents in Canada. There have been concerns expressed over the possibility of certain persons abusing the policy.

There were concerns that certain persons would utilize the program to trick foreign nationals into working without the right permits, according to the official press release. Numerous travelers visiting Canada are rushing to look into other choices in light of the abrupt termination of this arrangement.

Those who want to work in Canada will now have to leave the nation and reapply overseas for a work visa, or they can look at alternative immigration routes that grant work authorization. Travelers who are already in Canada and intend to apply for a work visa under this policy will have to look into other options, like:

• Applying for a work permit from outside Canada
• Exploring Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)
• International Mobility Program (IMP)
• Studying in Canada

Visitor to Permanent Resident (PR) pathways

This program is ending at a time when there are an unprecedented number of temporary residents in Canada. Recent data indicates that the population of temporary residents has significantly increased in the previous several years due to a spike in the number of foreign students and temporary foreign workers.

More than 400,000 temporary foreign workers and over 800,000 international students were employed in Canada as of 2023—a significant rise from the previous year. According to the IRCC, this choice is a component of their attempts to control the number of temporary residents in Canada and guarantee the integrity of the immigration process.

The policy’s termination demonstrates IRCC’s dedication to readjusting the population of temporary residents and safeguarding the integrity of the immigration system, even though it offered much-needed flexibility during the COVID-19 pandemic.