December 24th, 2023 at 12:25 am

Canada Immigration Update: Work Permit for Visitors | IRCC Latest Updates

Can a visitor hold a job in Canada? Whereas work and study permits are only granted for carrying out certain tasks within Canada, a visiting visa offers more flexibility. It does not, however, imply that there are no limitations on what you may and cannot do when visiting Canada.

All non-citizens and non-permanent residents are subject to the Canadian work regulations. Before looking for work in the Canadian labor market, there are important things to keep in mind if you are visiting Canada on a visitor’s visa. In this article, we will clearly outline what is and is not allowed when traveling with a visiting visa.

Non-Permissible Activities Under a Visitor Visa

Under a Visitor Visa, you cannot;

1. Stay Permanently

With a visitor’s visa, you can enter Canada and obtain temporary legal status. But that status is only yours while your visa is in effect. It is illegal for you to remain in Canada with a visitor visa that has expired.

2. Work in Canada

To work in Canada, you must possess a current work permit. You must ensure that you do not participate in any commercial activity that would allow you to access the Canadian labor market while you are a visitor because a visitor visa does not permit you to work in the nation.

3. Study in Canada

You cannot study in Canada while holding a visitor’s visa unless you meet the prerequisites mentioned above. To lawfully study in Canada in any other circumstances, you require a study permit.

4. Apply for a Study Permit

As a visitor, you are not eligible to apply for a study permit from within Canada. After you get back to your home country, you will need to start the study visa application procedure. If a visitor’s family member has a valid study or work permit for Canada, they may be able to apply for a study permit from within the country.

Permissible Activities Under a Visitor Visa

Under a Visitor Visa, you can;

1. Enter and Stay in Canada

First and foremost, a visitor’s visa enables entry into Canada. Your visitor’s visa grants you temporary legal status within Canada, allowing you to travel and reside anywhere you choose. When contemplating immigration or employment in Canada, you have the rare chance to evaluate cities, labor markets, employment opportunities, cultural experiences, and the best areas to live.

With this first-hand experience, you may imagine what it could be like to live in Canada. In case you intend to immigrate in the upcoming years, bear in mind that temporary visiting visas might be granted for a maximum of six months. The person issuing your visa will ascertain the precise duration of its validity.

Your visa will expire after its validity time has passed, and you will no longer be able to enter Canada legally as a visitor.

2. Search for Work in Canada

Visitors with visitor visas are not specifically forbidden from looking for work while they are in the country, even if they are not intended to be used as a means of employment. In reality, it may be more successful to look for work within Canada rather than abroad because Canadian businesses sometimes prefer to see candidates in person before making an offer of employment.

But, if you decide to look for a job while using your visiting visa, bear the following in mind:

• Most importantly, never lie or withhold from an immigration officer the reason you are visiting Canada.
• Also, you will be required to demonstrate that you intend to return home when your visitor visa expires, regardless of the results of your job search.
• Lastly, you’ll have to demonstrate that you want to work in Canada only with a legitimate work permit.

3. Join a Short-Term Course in Canada

Generally speaking, to be able to study in Canada, you have to get study permission. If you match the following requirements, there are a few uncommon exclusions that let you study in Canada with a visitor’s visa:

• Foremost, the course is being offered by a non-designated learning institute
• Second, the program or course lasts for less than six months.
• Next, there is no longer a program that includes the course.
• Lastly, you’ll finish the course before your visiting visa expires

4. Apply to Extend your Stay in Canada

The maximum validity duration for visitor visas is six months; however, you can seek an extension if you want to remain longer than that. The immigration officer examining your application will decide whether or not to grant the extension and how long it will last.

5. Perform Business Activities

Even though you normally need a work permit to work in Canada, you are still able to do certain business while using a visiting visa as long as you stay out of the Canadian labor market. As an illustration, you can;

• Buy products or services from Canadian companies for a foreign company
• Also, visit a business location
• Besides that, accept training from a Canadian company for product use, sales, or other business functions
• In addition, meet and converse with individuals to start and finish a business transaction.

6. Apply for a Work Permit

Generally speaking, guests are not permitted to apply for a work permit while they are in Canada. However, tourists who obtain a legitimate job offer while in Canada are eligible to apply for it thanks to a temporary measure that is in place until the end of February 2025. Before this temporary policy change, those wishing to work in Canada would normally have to apply for their first work permit before they arrived in the country to do so while in the country on a guest visa.

They would have to depart Canada to receive their work permit if they were in the country on a visitor’s visa when their application was granted. It is not required to leave Canada in light of this policy.

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