Temporary Policy Terminated Early
Visitors in Canada with status are no longer able to request work permits while staying in the country as of a recent policy change made in August 2020, amid the COVID-19 crisis to aid those stranded due to travel limitations without having to leave Canada to acquire a work permit. Foreigners who had a work permit in the year and changed their status to “visitor ” could legally work while waiting for a decision, on their new work permit application.
Policy Expiry Accelerated
The policy that was supposed to end on February 28th in the year 2025 has been cancelled earlier than planned as, per the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This move is part of a plan to manage the number of temporary residents and uphold the immigration system’s credibility.
Reason for Early Termination
The early rollback of this policy is partly due to concerns that “bad actors” were exploiting it to mislead foreign nationals into unauthorized employment in Canada. Applications submitted under this policy before August 28 will still be processed, as reported by CIC News.
Broader Changes to Temporary Foreign Worker Program
The end of this temporary rule aligns with adjustments aimed at decreasing the influx of temporary foreign workers in Canada. The Department declared a halt to handling Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications in the Low Wage category of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) by September 26, 2024. This will impact candidates, in Census Metropolitan Areas where unemployment rates stand at 6% or above.
Canadian employers are now limited in the number of workers they can hire under the TFW program to 10 percent of their total workforce. Additionally, workers, in the Low Wage category can now only work for a maximum of one year or two.
Conclusion
The IRCC’s decision marks a significant shift in Canada’s approach to managing temporary foreign workers and aims to ensure both compliance and integrity within Canada’s immigration framework.
