September 28th, 2024 at 07:01 am

No More Canada Visitor Work Permit | Canada Visa Latest Update | Canada PR

The revelation that work permits for visitors will no longer be issued is a significant change in the immigration environment for foreign visitors looking for possibilities in Canada as the country continues to modernize. This shift offers opportunities as well as problems to individuals hoping to settle permanently in Canada.

We will examine the ramifications of this change and look into potential visitor-only alternate pathways to permanent residency in this blog. It is essential to comprehend your alternatives if you are a student, skilled worker, or want to reunite with family to effectively navigate your immigration journey in Canada.

Introduction

The ability to apply from within Canada for a job-supported work permit has been discontinued as of August 28 for temporary residents in Canada on a guest visa.

In August 2020, a temporary policy was implemented that permits visitors to apply for these work permits. The primary goal of this policy is to help employers fill critical labor shortages by enabling certain visitors who meet specific requirements to apply for a job-supported work permit from within Canada. This policy was implemented to help some visitors who were in Canada and were unable to return home due to border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It should be noted that certain foreign visitors may still apply domestically for other types of work permits. Certain applications, such as those for a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP), are also restricted from being submitted from outside of Canada and must be submitted from within the nation.

The policy’s original expiration date was scheduled for February 28, 2025. However, as “part of our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system,” Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it is eliminating the policy immediately.

Applications filed following the rules before August 28 will still be processed, according to the Department.

Crackdown on Bad Actors

The IRCC claims that knowledge that “bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization” is a contributing factor in the early rollback. This is related to the department’s continuous initiatives to lower the number of temporary residents and fight pervasive immigration fraud.

For instance, it was discovered that 700 Indian overseas students were enrolled in Canadian universities last year as a result of forged admission letters from DLIs. A large number of them had no idea that their letters were fake.

As a result, the IRCC now mandates that DLIs confirm every acceptance letter within ten days of receiving an application from an overseas student. Additionally, it has limited the amount of foreign students that Canada would take in for the ensuing two years.

Bigger Changes to Temporary Foreign Worker Levels in Canada

A week of significant adjustments intended to lower Canada’s numbers of temporary foreign workers coincided with the expiration of the temporary policy permitting certain tourists to apply for a work permit.

By September 26, 2024, the Department of Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will no longer be reviewing applications for certain applicants under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) Low-Wage stream. This announcement was made on August 26. Applicants in Census Metropolitan Areas where the unemployment rate is six percent or greater will be impacted by this.

The IRCC also declared that the maximum period of employment for workers in the low-wage stream would be lowered to one year and that firms in Canada would only be able to engage up to 10% of foreign workers under the TFWP.

Similar to today’s announcement, many of the aforementioned adjustments are reversals of immigration rules that were put in place during the pandemic by the Canadian government to address the country’s labor shortage. For instance, during the pandemic, the IRCC and Employment Social Development Canada (ESDC) together implemented interim measures that extended the validity of an LMIA to 12 months and permitted Canadian workers to hire up to 30% of their staff under the TFWP’s low-wage stream.

Following a joint press announcement by Immigration Minister Marc Miller and Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault last May, IRCC and ESDC started to rescind these pandemic-era restrictions. Minister Miller made the historic announcement at the same press conference that the annual Immigration Levels Plan would now include temporary resident levels, a first in Canadian immigration history.

In Canada, immigration has emerged as a major issue. Much of this year has seen declarations about controlling and lowering the number of temporary immigrants living there. Minister Miller also declared this week that he intends to think about adjusting the number of permanent residents in Canada in the upcoming years.

Conclusion

A new obstacle for individuals who want to work and remain in Canada is the expiration of visitor work permits, but it also creates several other avenues for obtaining permanent status. You may put yourself in the best possible position to succeed in your Canadian immigration journey by being aware of these possibilities and actively determining your eligibility.

You still have a lot of options for becoming a permanent resident of Canada, regardless of whether you choose to apply for an Express Entry visa, a Provincial Nominee Program, or a study permit. It’s critical to stay informed about policy changes and seek professional advice to make the best decisions for your future.