Effective August 28, 2024, visitors in Canada are no longer permitted to apply for job-supported work permits while staying in the country. This temporary policy, initially introduced in August 2020, was aimed at helping individuals who could not return home due to COVID-19-related border closures. It also served to address labor shortages by allowing certain visitors to apply for work permits after meeting specific criteria.
However, the policy is now being discontinued earlier than originally planned as part of efforts by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada and maintain the integrity of the immigration system. IRCC clarified that applications submitted under the policy before the cutoff date will continue to be processed.
The policy’s early termination is also linked to concerns about fraud, with IRCC reporting cases of individuals exploiting the rule to work without proper authorization. This is part of the government’s broader strategy to combat immigration fraud and reduce the overall number of temporary foreign workers in the country.
In addition to this change, Canada is implementing other significant reforms related to temporary foreign workers. This includes a decision to pause some Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications for low-wage workers and introduce caps on the percentage of foreign workers employers can hire. These moves are part of a series of policy rollbacks addressing labor needs that emerged during the pandemic, signaling a shift in Canada’s immigration priorities as the country manages its temporary resident levels.
These changes also come as the government considers adjustments to permanent residence levels in the near future.