Visitors can now apply for work permit in Canada, but…
Dear Mr Brown,
I heard that people can now apply for a work permit from within Canada. I want to know if this is true. I thought we would have to apply from here in Jamaica.
— DD
Dear DD:
The Government of Canada has introduced a temporary public policy to allow visitors to apply for a work permit without needing to leave Canada. The measure is designed to benefit employers who are having difficulty finding workers, by allowing temporary residents to contribute to the COVID-19 economic recovery.
International visitors who are currently in Canada with a job offer are able to apply for a work permit without having to depart Canada. However, the new policy does not apply to anyone arriving in Canada as a visitor after August 24, 2020.
Normally, people applying for their work permits would usually need to apply for a work permit in their country of citizenship or residence. However, due to current air travel restrictions due to the pandemic, some visitors have been unable to leave Canada and have had to extend their stay as temporary residents.
The change could help candidates in a number of different situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including:
• Visitors who have been unable to leave.
• Foreign workers who had to change their status to visitor because their work permit was expiring and they didn’t have a job offer to be able to apply for a new work permit.
• Employers facing ongoing labour and skills shortages during the pandemic.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
1. Valid status in Canada as a visitor on August 24, 2020, with the intention to stay in Canada;
2. A job offer;
3. An application for an employer-specific work permit supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt job offer submitted no later than March 31, 2020; and
4. Meet all other standard admissibility criteria.
Candidates who meet the criteria and held a valid work permit in the last 12 months are allowed to work for their new employer while their application is being processed.
The policy is open to any visitor who meets the criteria, including super visa holders, business visitors, and those who entered via a Global Skills Strategy work permit exemption.
Please visit jamaica2canada.com for additional information on Canadian permanent residence programmes, including Express Entry, the Study and Work programme, visas or appeals, etc.
Antonn Brown, BA, (Hons), LLB, MSc, RCIC, is an immigration counsel and an accredited Canadian education agent of JAMAICA2CANADA.COM — a Canadian immigration and education firm in Kingston. Send questions/comments to jamaica2canada@gmail.com.
