Visitors can continue applying for work permits inside Canada
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Mar, 2023 11:50 AM
Toronto, March 2 (IANS) Foreign nationals who are in Canada as visitors and who receive a valid job offer will be able to apply for and receive a work permit without having to leave the country, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.
The move, an extension of a Covid-era temporary public policy that was set to expire today, has now been extended by two years, until February 28, 2025.
Visitors applying under this public policy who held a work permit within the last 12 months will also continue to be able to request interim work authorization to begin working for their new employer more quickly.
Prior to this temporary policy change, those applying to work in Canada would typically 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 the country to be issued their work permit.
With this policy in place, leaving Canada isn't necessary.
Those looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must have valid status in Canada as a visitor on the day they apply, and have a job offer that is supported by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.
An LMIA is an application that an employer makes to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to evaluate if hiring foreign workers will have a positive, neutral or negative impact on the Canadian economy.
If ESDC deems the impact is negative, the employer will not be eligible to hire foreign nationals, according to CIC News.
Under the policy, applicants must also submit an application for an employer-specific work permit no later than February 28, 2025.
IRCC said that continuing this policy makes visitors an option for employers in Canada, many of whom are facing significant labour shortages during a period of economic expansion.
There was an overall decrease in the number of vacancies to 848,000 from over one million, according to Statistics Canada data from December 2022.
However, key sectors like healthcare, food and social assistance still need more employees to fill in-demand positions.
Surrey RCMP says an investigation began after its community response unit linked multiple reports of victims being drugged and robbed. In one case in February 2021, a man died, allegedly after being given a substance during an encounter.
The trees of Stanley Park, typically the green jewel of Vancouver's downtown core, just can't catch a break. Experts say large numbers of browning trees appear dead or dying, because of a one-two combination of foliage-munching grubs and an exceptionally dry weather spell, with the last appreciable rain falling in Vancouver on Sept. 4.
Upon arrival, emergency service workers located a three-vehicle collision. One of the drivers was found suffering from serious life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital, but sadly succumbed to his injuries.
The injuries sustained by the teenager required hospital treatment. Following a thorough investigation, police identified and arrested the suspect. 30-year-old Devin Monteleone of Burnaby, BC, has been charged with the assault causing bodily harm.
The British Columbia recall petition launched against Harwinder Sandhu, the member of the legislature for Vernon-Monashee, was a failure. Elections BC says in a statement the recall petition was not submitted by the Oct. 11 deadline under the Recall and Initiative Act.
Retail experts have said Aritzia has successfully developed a faithful customer base in recent years, and that momentum is expected to continue. They said Aritzia is somewhere between luxury and fast-fashion, selling to middle-class and upper-middle-class consumers. Liza Amlani of Retail Strategy Group said the brand is seen as “aspirational” to many shoppers.
