In a surprising move, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced on August 28, 2024, that it would terminate a temporary policy allowing certain visitors to apply for work permits from within the country.
This policy, introduced in August 2020, aimed to assist foreign nationals who were unable to leave Canada due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It permitted eligible visitors to apply for employer-specific work permits without leaving the country and waived certain temporary residence requirements.
While the policy was initially scheduled to expire in February 2025, IRCC decided to end it prematurely. This decision aligns with the government's broader efforts to manage the number of temporary residents in Canada and maintain the integrity of the immigration system.
IRCC also recognized that the policy had been exploited by unscrupulous individuals who were misleading foreign nationals into working in Canada without proper authorization. By ending the policy, the government hopes to curb such illegal activities and ensure that the immigration system operates fairly and efficiently. IRCC advised that applications submitted under the public policy before August 28, 2024 will continue to be processed.
HUGE CHANGES TO THE TEMPORARY FOREIGN WORKER PROGRAM
The Canadian government has implemented a series of significant changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), aiming to reduce the country's reliance on foreign workers. These measures come on the heels of the termination of a temporary policy that allowed some visitors to apply for work permits.
On August 26, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a pause on processing certain Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under the Low-Wage stream of the TFWP. This affects applicants in Census Metropolitan Areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. Additionally, IRCC has imposed restrictions on the number of foreign workers employers can hire under the TFWP, limiting it to 10% of their total workforce. Furthermore, the maximum term of employment for workers in the Low-Wage stream has been reduced from two years
to one.
These changes represent a rollback of pandemic-era immigration policies that were implemented to address labor shortages. During the pandemic, IRCC, in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), introduced temporary measures allowing Canadian workers to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the Low-Wage stream and extending the validity period of LMIA to 12 months.
The government began to phase out these temporary policies in May following a joint press conference by Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault and Immigration Minister Marc Miller. At the same conference, Minister Miller announced the historic inclusion of temporary resident levels in the annual Immigration Levels Plan, a first in Canadian immigration history.
Immigration has become a central topic in Canada, with numerous announcements this year focusing on managing and reducing temporary resident levels. In recent weeks, Minister Miller has also indicated his intention to consider changes to permanent residence levels in the coming years.
These recent policy changes demonstrate the Canadian government's commitment to reducing its reliance on temporary foreign workers and potentially increasing opportunities for domestic workers. However, it remains to be seen how these measures will impact businesses and industries that rely on foreign workers to fill labor shortages.
Source:
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Employment and Social Development Canada
Contact Marjorie at [email protected]
A word of caution: You should not act or rely on the information provided in this column. It is not a legal advice. To ensure your interests are protected, retain, or formally seek advice from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) in good standing of CICC. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RCIC’s.
