Canada: Relaxed Measures Forthcoming for Certain Former International Students and Permanent Residence Applicants

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced several forthcoming temporary policies to address labor shortages in Canada. Starting between June and August of 2022, individuals in Canada who completed a Canadian post-secondary degree and hold a post-graduate work permit expiring between January and December 2022 will be eligible for a work permit extension of up to 18 months. This provides more time for eligible foreign nationals to access pathways to qualify for and obtain permanent residence while contributing to the Canadian economy. Also taking effect between June and August of 2022, 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 will no longer be required to remain in Canada while their application is processed. Additionally, bridging work permits (which grant work authorization to permanent residence applicants awaiting the processing of their application) will be valid until the end of 2024, up from the current validity of one year; and immediate family members who are outside Canada who were included as dependents in the permanent residence application will be eligible for their own open work permit.