Canada Opens Work Permit Applications to Visitors

Foreigners visiting Canada with a tourist or visitor visa can still apply for work permits until February 28, 2025. For those asking about this: Yes, you can apply for a work permit from within Canada, but you must meet the requirements to support your application.

Just because someone has a visitor visa and is currently in Canada doesn’t automatically allow them to apply for a work permit by just sending any application to IRCC.

Those who are keen on getting a work permit must meet all the criteria, which include having either a supporting Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a valid job offer from a Canadian employer (if the job is exempt from LMIA).

According to the policy, foreigners visiting Canada can apply for and receive a work visa without having to leave the country if they have a valid job offer.

Applicants under this public policy, who have had a work permit in the last 12 months, can also ask for interim work authorization. This allows them to start working for their new employer sooner.

Work Permit Policies in Canada

Keeping this interim policy in place provides Canadian companies with an additional option, particularly as many are grappling with significant worker shortages in this period of economic growth.

Before this temporary adjustment to the policy, individuals wanting to work in Canada had to apply for their initial work visa from outside the country. If they were already in Canada with visitor status when authorized for a work permit, they had to leave before their work permit could be issued.

With the current policy in effect, leaving Canada is no longer necessary.

Initially, this policy applied only to visitors who arrived before August 24, 2020 and had a job offer along with meeting other requirements. However, it was later modified to include all visitor visa holders entering Canada, regardless of their entry date.

Who Can Apply for Work Permit?

To be eligible for the benefits of this temporary public policy, an applicant must:

1. Have a valid visitor status in Canada on the day of application.
2. Possess a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.
3. Apply for an employer-specific work permit before February 28, 2025.
4. Fulfill all other standard admissibility requirements.

For candidates with visitor status who have held a work permit in the last 12 months under this temporary policy, eligibility requires:

1. Physical presence in Canada at the time of application.
2. Remaining in the country while the application is being processed.
3. Not departing while the application is under review.
4. Being a visitor with valid status when applying for a work permit.
5. Restoring visitor status if it has expired before applying for a work permit.
6. Having applied for an employer-specific work permit between August 24, 2020, and February 28, 2025.
7. Holding a valid work permit in the 12 months preceding the application for a new work permit.

Visitors currently in Canada who have had a valid work permit in the past 12 months can follow specific guidelines to secure an interim work permit.

Requirements for Interim Work Authorization

Interim Work Authorization is exclusively available to visitor visa holders who have possessed a valid work permit in the last 12 months under this temporary arrangement.

Following the submission of a work permit application under this policy, applicants need to fulfill the requirement of completing the IRCC Web form with the specific message provided by IRCC.

When completing the “Your Inquiry” section, please ensure to include the following text:

Priority Code VISIT2WORK2020: I am seeking consideration under the Temporary Public Policy to Exempt Certain Visitors in Canada from Immigration Requirements during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. I request that the relevant exemptions be applied until a decision is reached on my work permit application or until it is withdrawn.

My previous/former work permit number [U#########] expired on [Date].

I have submitted my work permit application online. OR I have submitted my application on paper, and the postal/courier tracking number is NUMBER.

I plan to work for [employer NAME] / [occupation] as specified in the aforementioned work permit application.

I am aware that providing false, misleading, or incorrect information is a violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and may lead to enforcement measures against me.

Ensure that you complete the sections in square brackets, providing the necessary information such as:

1. dates
2. work permit number (starting with a “U”)
3. name of your employer
4. title of your job

After filling out the web form, you should wait for an email from IRCC notifying you that you are authorized to commence working.

This email will serve as your interim work authorization until you receive the work permit, and this entire process may take up to 30 days (6 weeks).

Canadian Visitor Visa to Work Permit Processing Time

As of the latest official update from IRCC, the processing time for Canada visitor visa to work permit applications varies based on the application method:

Online Work Permit Applications from Inside Canada:

Average processing time: 135 days.

Paper-Based Applications:

Average processing time: 17 days after being received by the IRCC. It’s important to note that these are average processing times, and individual cases may vary. Applicants should check the most recent updates from IRCC for the latest information.