Canada: Former International Students and Permanent Residence Applicants Eligible for New Work and Residency Benefits

• • Application. Eligible applicants must submit their work permit application online by December 31, 2022. Port-of-entry applications are not accepted.

  • Process. The work permit application process differs depending on the individual’s circumstances, such as their work permit expiration date, whether their address is up to date in IRCC’s records and the remaining validity on their passport. Interested applicants should work with their immigration professional for case-specific advice.

  • Interim work authorization. Until May 31, 2023, applicants for the additional 18-month work period can work in Canada during the processing of their new work permit or work permit extension, provided they also hold valid temporary residence status. They will receive an email from IRCC indicating they are authorized to work as evidence of work authorization.

Permanent residence applicants. Foreign nationals who applied for permanent residence through the temporary-resident-to permanent-resident pathways in 2021 (for essential workers and international graduates) and who are awaiting adjudication of their applications are now eligible for bridging work permits (which grant work authorization to permanent residence applicants awaiting the processing of their application) valid until December 31, 2024, up from the previous validity of one year.

Update- December 18, 2024: This has been extended until December 31, 2026. As a result, permanent residence applicants who received this bridging work permit can now apply to extend it until December 31, 2026. More details on the policy and process can be found here.

• • Automatic extension. Individuals who already hold a bridging work permit, have a passport valid until at least December 31, 2024, and whose address is up to date in IRCC’s records will have the updated work permit mailed to them. According to IRCC, they should receive it by mid-October.
  • Other applicants. Applicants with passports that expire before December 31, 2024, or whose address is not up to date, need to apply online to obtain the new extended work permit.