The Canadian government has announced that holders of visitor visas will no longer be permitted to apply for work permits from within the country effective immediately as of August 28, 2024.
This policy marks an early termination of a temporary policy that was originally set to expire on February 28, 2025 which was initially introduced in August 2020 to assist visitors who were stranded in Canada due to COVID-19-related border closures.
The announcement was made by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which stated that the early termination is part of broader efforts to manage the number of temporary residents in Canada and to maintain the integrity of the immigration system.
Under the previous policy, visitors could apply for work permits without leaving Canada, and those who had held a work permit within the last 12 months were allowed to work legally while awaiting decisions on new applications.
IRCC expressed concerns that some individuals were exploiting this policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without proper authorization. The department noted that applications submitted under the policy before August 28 will still be processed.
This policy change comes amid heightened tensions as thousands of international students have protested against new immigration policies that could lead to the deportation of approximately 70,000 students.
International students currently make up 37% of study visa holders in Canada, and recent caps on student visas are expected to reduce foreign student intake by 35%. The government argues that these measures are necessary to alleviate pressures on housing, unemployment, and public services.
In addition to the visitor visa changes, the Canadian government has recently implemented stricter regulations on foreign workers.
