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.
Police say Connor Russell McDonald, 21, has been charged with arson causing property damage and disregard for human life, mischief to property endangering life, mischief to property, and possession of incendiary material.
There are 271 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 49 are in intensive care. In the past 72 hours, eight new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,974.
Aeroflot Flight 111 entered Canadian airspace on Feb. 27 after the federal government had banned all Russian aircraft earlier that day in retaliation for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
With further details on sanctions to come later this week, Joly told reporters Ottawa will do everything in its power to ensure Russia is isolated diplomatically, economically and politically, while providing Ukraine with weapons.
Fareed Khan, founder of Canadians United Against Hate, says the government needs to start by acknowledging that the country and its institutions were built upon Indigenous genocide, slavery and white supremacy.
