Canada Ends Policy Allowing Visitors To Apply For Work Permits

Visitors with valid visitor visas to Canada are not eligible to apply for a work permit there.

This is happening right after new immigration laws were passed, which have provoked protests, particularly among overseas students.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced that it will immediately end the program that permits travelers to get a work permit.

“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.

The policy was introduced in August 2020 to assist visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Visitors could apply for a work permit without having to leave Canada. Also, anyone who had held a work permit within the preceding 12 months but had changed their immigration status to “visitor” became eligible to “work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application.”

However, the IRCC said that “some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”

Nevertheless, it declared that it would still handle applications filed before August 28, 2024, in accordance with the policy.

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Tens of thousands of foreign students demonstrated against new immigration laws presented by the federal government earlier this week, which might result in the deportation of roughly 70,000 of them, escalating tensions.

Thirty-seven percent of Canadian study visa holders were foreign students as of 2023. However, the new cap on student visas is predicted to cut the number of international students admitted by 35%; the government claims this is vital to relieve the burden on public services, housing, and unemployment.

The Canadian government announced in June that foreign nationals will no longer be able to apply for a PGWP at the border, substantially tightening requirements.

Students who are worried about their future in Canada are afraid as a result of this decision. The Naujawan Support Network and other student advocacy organizations have issued warnings that many international graduates may be deported when their work permits expire at the end of the year.