Amidst recent immigration reforms that have sparked protests, especially amongst international students, holders of Canadian visitor visas will not be able to apply for a work permit within the country.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said it will discontinue the policy that allows visitors to get a work permit with immediate effect.
“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.”
It, however, said it will continue to process applications submitted before August 28, 2024, under the policy.”
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