Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has ended the temporary public policy that allowed certain visitors to apply for a work permit from within Canada, effective immediately and earlier than planned. IRCC introduced the public policy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, to help visitors who were unable to leave Canada due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. Under the policy, certain visitors in Canada could apply for a work permit from within Canada (instead of the regular process of applying at a consular post or at a port of entry), and those who were applying for an employer-specific work permit and who had held a work permit in the last 12 months could request interim authorization to work while their application was processed, which is not typically allowed. While the policy was set to end in February 2025, IRCC has ended the policy earlier as part of the government’s efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada. According to IRCC, applications received before August 28, 2024 will not be affected and will be processed under the prior policy.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
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