Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, (IRCC) has announced the end of a temporary public policy that allowed visitors to apply for a work permit without leaving the country.
According to a statement by the Canadian government, the policy, initially set to expire on February 28, 2025, will now end on August 28, 2024.
It says the early termination is part of, “Our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system,”
The IRCC also stated that they were aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorisation, but will still process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy.
The IRCC introduced the policy in August 2020 to help visitors who were unable to leave the country due to COVID-19 pandemic–related travel restrictions.
Under the policy, visitors in Canada could apply for a work permit without having to leave the country.
In addition, foreign nationals who had held a work permit in the previous 12 months but changed their status in Canada to “visitor” could apply to work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application.