Foreign nationals in Canada as visitors can apply for work permits without leaving the country for at least another two years following the extension of a temporary public policy announced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government is hoping the extension of the public policy will be a boon to employers who are having a hard time filling jobs due to a severe labour shortage in Canada.
“This COVID-era temporary public policy has been extended by two years, until Feb. 28, 2025,” noted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in a statement.
“Leaving this temporary policy in place makes visitors an option for employers in Canada as many are facing significant labour shortages during this period of economic expansion.”
Foreign nationals in Canada as visitors need to have a valid job offer to be able to apply for these work permits.
“Visitors applying under this public policy who held a work permit within the last 12 months will also continue to be able to request interim work authorization to begin working for their new employer more quickly,” notes the IRCC.
Applicant looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must:
have valid status in Canada as a visitor on the day they apply;
have a job offer that is supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment;
submit an application for an employer-specific work permit no later than Feb. 28, 2025, and;
meet all other standard admissibility criteria.
This temporary public policy first came into effect on Aug.24, 2020, smack in the middle of the first year of the pandemic when immigration to Canada was plummeting.
IRCC data reveals that after welcoming 341,175 new permanent residents to Canada in 2019, the country saw immigration fall by 45.9 per cent, to only 184,585 new permanent residents in 2020.
Canada issues two types of work permits: employer-specific work permits and open work permits.
Employer-specific work permits include conditions such as:
name of a specific employer;
how long a candidate can work, and;
the location of a candidate’s work.
Candidates applying for an employer-specific work permit must get a positive LMIA from their employer or an offer of employment before applying.
Open work permits, in contrast, allows the foreign national to work for any employer in Canada but they are issued only in specific circumstances.
Canadian employers can also recruit and hire foreign nationals through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).
