Canada has implemented a temporary public policy that allows certain visitors to apply for an employer-specific work permit from within the country. The Canadian Government implemented the policy in August of 2020 to support economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The policy has three primary goals: (1) to permit eligible foreign nationals with valid temporary resident status as visitors to apply for a job offer-supported work permit from within Canada; (2) to grant an exemption to eligible foreign nationals from the condition that a work permit cannot be issued in the case where they have not met specific temporary residence requirements; (3) to allow eligible former temporary foreign workers to engage in work activities while their work permit application is being processed.
Under this policy, all temporary residents in Canada with valid temporary resident status can apply for an employer-specific work permit. However, only those applicants who have held a work permit in the last twelve months will be eligible to request interim authorisation to work. This temporary policy has been extended until February 28th, 2025.
The eligibility requirements for visitors to apply for an employer-specific work permit are as follows: the foreign national must be physically present in Canada as a visitor with valid temporary resident states, including status extensions under subsections 183(5) of the Immigration and Refugees Protection Regulations (IRPR), which means that they have maintained their status until the time of submitting the work permit application. Additionally, they must complete an employer-specific work permit application using the ‘Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker’ [IMM 5710], maintain their status in Canada from the time of application submission, and have the intention to remain in Canada during the entire period processing their work permit application.
Former work permit holders who converted to visitor status may also be eligible for interim authorisation to work if they meet certain criteria.
Overall, the temporary policy will support Canada’s economic recovery by allowing eligible foreign nationals to work for employers who need them and assist former temporary foreign workers to continue working while their work permit applications are processed.
FOMCENCO LAW recognizes the complexities of completing applications such as the ones listed above. To acquire further information or assistance about application processes, please book a free consultation on our website.
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