Visitors Can No Longer Apply for Work Permits from Inside Canada

Visitors Can No Longer Apply for Work Permits from Inside Canada

Samuel Francis Gills Published:
September 06, 2024

From August 28 onwards, visitors in Canada cannot apply for a work permit when they are inside Canada. In August 2020, Canada had implemented the policy to help travellers who could not get home due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

Under the policy implementation during COVID-19 times, visitors were allowed to obtain work permits without leaving Canada. Anyone who had a work permit within the past year but altered their immigration status to ‘visitor’ could work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application. Though the policy was supposed to expire on 28 February 2025 only, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has said that is it is eliminating the scheme as ‘part of our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the ‘integrity of the immigration system.’ Applications submitted before August 28 will be processed as per the previous policy.

Crackdown on illegitimate applications

After learning that bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has reversed the policy. This supports the department's efforts to lower temporary resident numbers and combat immigration fraud.

In Canada, last year, 700 Indian international students were caught with fake acceptance letters from Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). In fact, many were unaware that their letters were fake. DLIs must now validate all letters of acceptance within 10 days of receiving an international student application, as per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Canada has now capped overseas student admissions for two years.




Big changes for temporary foreign worker in Canada

After a week of major adjustments to reduce Canada's temporary foreign worker population, the temporary policy permitting some tourists to apply for a work visa ended. For some low-wage Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) applicants, the department indicated on August 26th that it would suspend Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) processing by September 26, 2024. This affects applicants in Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with 6% unemployment.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) also limited the number of foreign workers firms in Canada can hire under the TFWP to 10% of their total workforce and cut the low-wage stream's maximum employment period to one year from two. Many of these measures, including today's, roll back pandemic-era immigration policies the government of Canada adopted to meet labour demands. In the pandemic, IRCC and ESDC had implemented interim measures allowing Canadian workers to hire up to 30% of their staff under the Low-Wage stream of the TFWP and to extend LMIA validity to 12 months.

After a joint press conference by Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault and Canada’s minister of immigration Marc Miller last May, IRCC and ESDC began repealing pandemic-era policies. The annual Immigration Levels Plan now includes temporary resident levels, a first in Canadian immigration history, according to Minister Miller's press conference.

Canada has made many announcements this year about managing and eliminating temporary residents. Minister Miller also indicated this week that he will investigate changing permanent residence levels in Canada.

Check if you qualify to migrate. Check out our Settlement Resources to learn how to find employment in Canada, making your initial days stress-free, etc.

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