CANADA BAR HOLDERS OF VISITOR VISAS FROM APPLYING FOR WORK PERMITS
Canada has prohibited holders of visitor visas from seeking work permits while in the country, effective immediately.
On Wednesday, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a significant policy reform.
“While the temporary policy was set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC is ending the policy as part of our overall efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and preserve the integrity of the immigration system,” the statement read.
“IRCC is also aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization. IRCC will continue to process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy.”
The IRCC further stated that the decision was driven by worries that certain persons were using the program to mislead foreign nationals into unauthorised work in Canada.
“IRCC is also aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization. IRCC will continue to process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy,” the statement added.
This strategy was initially introduced in August 2020 to address the issues provided by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many guests were stranded in Canada owing to international travel restrictions and border closures.
The provision allowed tourists to apply for a work visa without having to leave Canada.
Also, anyone who had possessed a work permit within the previous 12 months but had altered their immigration status to “visitor” was able to “work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application.”