The Canadian government announced the end of a temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for a work permit within Canada, effective immediately.

Key Points:

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada introduced the temporary policy in August 2020 to help nationals who were unable to leave the country due to COVID-19 pandemic–related travel restrictions.
• Applications submitted before Aug. 28 will continue to be processed under the policy.

Additional Information: The temporary policy allowed foreign nationals to apply for a work permit without having to leave the country, and individuals who changed their status to “visitor” could apply to work legally in Canada while waiting for a decision on their new work permit application. The procedure for applying for a work permit application will return to the previous policy; more information on how to apply can be found here.

BAL Analysis: The temporary policy was set to expire on Feb. 28, 2025, but officials stated they are ending the policy earlier than expected to recalibrate the number of temporary residents and preserve the integrity of the immigration system.