Canada ends policy allowing visitor visa holders to apply for work permits from within the country

The policy was introduced in August 2020 to assist visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the policy, they could apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada. Also, anyone who had held a work permit within the preceding 12 months but had changed their immigrations status to “visitor” became eligible to “work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application.”

Originally set to end on February 28, 2025, the policy is now being terminated early. According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), this decision is part of their broader strategy to adjust the number of temporary residents and maintain the integrity of the immigration system.

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Canada says applications submitted under the policy before August 28 will continue to be processed, as per a CIC News report.

Why was the step taken?
Canada says that part of this early rollback is because it has been made aware that “bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”

Bigger changes to temporary foreign worker levels in Canada
The end of the temporary policy allowing some visitors to apply for a work permit comes amidst a week of big changes aimed at reducing Canada’s temporary foreign worker levels, says the CIC report.

On August 26th, the Department announced it would pause the processing of some Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for some applicants under the Low-Wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) by September 26th, 2024. This will impact applicants in Census Metropolitan Areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher.

Canada also announced restrictions on the number of foreign workers that employers in Canada can hire under the TFWP (10% of their total workforce), and that the maximum term of employment for workers in the Low-Wage stream would be reduced to one year from two.