Canada has announced a new directive barring holders of visitor visas from applying for work permits while in the country, effective immediately. This was disclosed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) in a statement on Wednesday.
“While the temporary policy was set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC is ending the policy as part of our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system,” the statement said.
The IRCC further noted that the policy had been exploited by some individuals who misled foreign nationals into working in Canada without proper authorization. However, the IRCC assured that applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the previous policy would still be processed.
Initially introduced in August 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the policy aimed to assist visitors who were unable to return home due to border closures. It allowed them to apply for work permits without leaving Canada. Additionally, those who had held a work permit within the past 12 months but had changed their status to “visitor” were eligible to work legally in Canada while awaiting a decision on their new work permit application.
The IRCC emphasized the importance of preserving the integrity of Canada’s immigration system and highlighted that ending the policy is a step toward managing the number of temporary residents in the country.
