Canada has prohibited holders of visitor visas from applying for work permits within the country.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this directive in a statement on Wednesday, indicating that it takes effect immediately.
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“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 policy was introduced in August 2020 to support visitors in Canada who could not return home due to COVID-19-related border closures.
It allowed them to apply for a work permit without needing to leave Canada.
Additionally, individuals who had held a work permit within the previous 12 months but had since changed their immigration status to “visitor” were eligible to work legally in Canada while awaiting a decision on their new work permit application.
