The Canadian Government has announced new steps for foreign nationals with expired or expiring Post Graduate Work Permits (PGWP) and for applicants of TR to PR permanent residence pathway.
Actions For Foreign Citizens With An Expired or Expiring PGWP:
Foreign citizens who have a PGWP which expired or will expire between 20 September 2021 and 31 December 2022 will be eligible for a work permit which will be valid for an additional 18 months. Foreign citizens who are currently in Canada will also be able to work while waiting for their permit to be extended or for a new one to be provided.
What steps a foreign citizen must take to obtain this open work permit will be based on when their PGWP expired or will expire, whether their address is updated, and whether their passport is valid through April 2024.
In case the PGWP is set to expire between 2 October 2022 and 31 December 2022, the foreign national’s address is updated, and their passport is valid through April 2024 then no action is required, the foreign national will be sent a new work permit to their mailing address.
If the PGWP expires between 2 October 2022 and 31 December 2022, and the foreign citizen’s address and/or passport validity needs to be renewed.
Once they receive an email from IRCC to verify their mailing address, the foreign national should notify the IRCC of their new address. If the foreign citizen’s passport is not valid for a minimum of 18 additional months, the foreign citizen will receive a separate email from IRCC in September. The foreign citizen will receive instructions via email on how to change their mailing address and/or passport validity in their online account. If the information is proper and up-to-date, the foreign national will then receive a new work permit.
If the PGWP expires between 2 October 2022 and 31 December 2022, but the foreign citizen is not able to update their address or passport validity:
The foreign national will need to apply online to extend their work permit.
If the PGWP expires between 2 October 2022 and 31 December 2022, but IRCC does not contact the foreign citizen:
The foreign citizen may not be qualified to have their work permit extended through these measures. The foreign citizen may still apply online to extend their work permit.
If the PGWP will expire or has expired between 20 September 2021 and 1 October 2022:
The foreign citizen will be required to apply online for a new work permit. If the foreign citizen is in Canada and their status has expired, they need to also apply to reinstate their status at this time. It is important to note that the foreign citizen is able to reinstate their status irrespective of whether it expired more than 90 days ago
All applications filed online under this policy must be submitted by 31 December 2022.
Applicants for the TR to PR Pathway:
Applicants of TR to PR pathway whose applications have not yet been finalized are qualified to apply for an open work permit. These applicants are eligible to obtain an open work permit which will be valid until 31 December 2024 as long as their passport is valid during this period.
Applicants of TR to PR pathway who already received an open work permit through this action with an end date of 31 December 2022 may also be eligible for a work permit with a longer validity date, based on whether their mailing address is updated, whether they are still in Canada and depending on the expiry date of their passport.
These changes will prove to be very helpful to Employers with Employees who come under these two categories. These work permit extensions will be possible without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment.
For further information, you may visit the Government of Canada’s official website.
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