• Posted 27-Aug-2020

Visitors can now apply for work permits from within Canada

Visitors who are currently in Canada and have a valid job offer will be able to apply for an employer-specific work permit and, if approved, receive the permit without having to leave the country.

This temporary policy change takes effect immediately and will benefit employers in Canada who continue to face difficulties finding the workers they need, as well as temporary residents.

To be eligible, an applicant looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must

have valid status in Canada as a visitor on August 24, 2020 and remain in Canada

have a job offer

submit an application for an employer-specific work permit that is supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment, no later than March 31, 2021

meet all other standard admissibility criteria

This temporary public policy also provides the opportunity for applicants who meet these criteria and who had a valid work permit in the past 12 months to begin working for their new employer before their work permit application has been fully approved.

Any type of visitor who meets the criteria is eligible to apply under this new public policy, including super visa holders, business visitors and those who entered Canada through a Global Skills Strategy work permit exemption. 

Foreign nationals who arrive in Canada as visitors after August 24, 2020, are not eligible under the public policy.

Prior to this temporary policy change, a person applying as a temporary resident would usually need to apply for their initial work permit before they came to Canada. If they were already in Canada with visitor status when they were approved for a work permit, they would need to leave Canada and return before their work permit was issued to them.    

Applicants who meet all these criteria, and who had a valid work permit in the past 12 months, will be able to begin working for their new employer before their work permit has been fully approved.