Visitors in Canada Eligible for a Work Permit
As part of the 2020 Coronavirus related measures, a temporary public policy issued by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently allows visitors in Canada to apply for an employer-specific work permit; meaning, obtaining an official job offer from an employer in Canada.
The original public policy was issued on August 24, 2020 and it only applied to visitors who arrived, on or after August 24, 2020. On April 1, 2021, the public policy was extended and it remains in effect until August 31, 2021. In addition, the public policy’s eligibility criteria expanded to allow ALL visitors within Canada with valid temporary resident status to apply inland for an employer-specific work permit, on or before August 31, 2021, regardless of when they arrived in Canada.
Prior to COVID-19 measures, visitors would usually need to apply for their initial work permits from outside Canada. If they were already in the country on visitor status when they were approved for the work permit, they would need to leave Canada and return in order to activate it.
Finally, these measures are very welcoming changes as they are more flexible and they give more time and opportunity for visitors to apply for their work permits from within Canada.
