Government cites 'bad actors' using policy to mislead foreign nationals
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has abruptly ended a temporary policy that allowed visitors in Canada to apply for work permits from within the country.
The policy, initially introduced in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, was set to expire on Feb. 28, 2025, but the IRCC terminated it on Aug. 28, 2024.
The department cited a need to safeguard the integrity of the immigration system.
“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,” a press release stated.
“IRCC is also aware that some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”
Applications submitted before the August deadline will still be processed under the old rules.
Stricter regulations on temporary foreign workers
In addition to the termination of the visitor work permit policy, the federal government announced other restrictions on the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program earlier this week, including:
- A reduction in the cap on the percentage of TFWs within a company’s workforce, from 20% to 10%.
- A decrease in the maximum employment period for low-wage TFWs from two years to one.
- A freeze on Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for low-wage positions in metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher, effective Sept. 26, 2024.
These changes are part of the government's broader effort to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada, which currently stands at 2.5 million, or 6.2% of the population. The feds are aiming to decrease this population by 5% over the next three years.
