According to the announcement of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the temporary public policy has been extended for foreign nationals living in Canada with job offers, allowing them to apply for and receive a work permit.
It should be noted that this policy will remain effective until 28 February 2025. Applicants must have the following to be eligible for this work permit policy;
- A valid visitor status in the country at the time of submitting their application
- An employment contract supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
Of course, applicants also need to fulfill the rest of the eligibility criteria to apply for a work permit.
Canada’s Updated Work Permit Policy
In other news, the temporary public policy implemented during the COVID-19 period has now been extended instead of being terminated on 28 February 2023 as scheduled. Don’t forget that this policy is an addition to Canada’s other measures to encourage migrants to live in Canada and become a part of the country’s labour market.
As a result, foreign nationals visiting Canada can apply for and receive a work permit if they have a job offer. This policy is expected to remain valid until February 2025.
What’s important to note here is that applicants had to acquire a work permit before coming to Canada when this policy was not effective. Therefore, visitors in Canada were forced to leave and renter if they wanted to receive their work permits without hassle. However, the new policy has made this step irrelevant, making it convenient for people interested in visiting or living in Canada.
The temporary measure was implemented to help Canadian employers deal with severe labour shortages during the pandemic when international travel became particularly challenging.
Application Requirements
For consideration under this temporary state policy, candidates must fulfill the following requirements;
- Have an LMIA-exempt employment contract or a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
- Hold legal visitor status in Canada at the time of applying
- Must apply for employer-specific work permits by 28 February 2025.
Plus, applicants need to fulfill the remaining eligibility criteria, including the language requirements. A job offer that meets the entire eligibility criteria is considered legitimate by Canadian immigration authorities. This includes securing a written job offer for a full-time, non-seasonal position for one year or more. Furthermore, the employer is supposed to obtain a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). However, an LMIA exemption is also acceptable.
In case you are wondering, obtaining a positive or neutral LMIA is necessary for employers interested in recruiting international workers. It’s how ESDC determines the impact of an employer’s decision to hire a foreign worker on the Canadian economy and confirms if it will contribute to positive, negative, or neutral consequences. The employer won’t be able to go forward with the recruitment process if ESDC concludes that the hiring of an international worker would prove detrimental to Canada’s economy.
Changes For Visitors In Canada
Foreign nationals who previously had work permits but don’t have them currently and are living in Canada as visitors can obtain temporary work authorization by following special instructions. This would allow them to start their new job before their application for a work permit is approved. Needless to say, this change is to counter the ongoing labour shortages in Canada.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on Canadian immigration.
2 thoughts on “IRCC Extends Work Permit Policy Until 2025”
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