Canada Ends Visitor To Work Permit Policy Effective from August 28

Canada ends temporary public policy allowing visitors to apply for work permits from within the country.

On Wednesday, 28th August 2024, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announces the end of the temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for a work permit. The change is effective immediately.

The policy was initially set to end on February 28, 2025, but the IRCC said it is changing the date to “recalibrate” how many temporary residents are in Canada and to “preserve the integrity of the immigration system.”

The policy was first introduced in 2020 as a way to help visitors who were unable to leave the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s travel restrictions.

However, in an unexpected move, IRCC has decided to terminate it early, effective immediately as of August 28, 2024.

However, IRCC has clarified that applications submitted before August 28, 2024, will still be processed under the now-defunct policy.

However, its termination marks a new phase in Canada’s immigration landscape, closing the backdoor for ingenuine visitors to exploit the policy.

Read more: End of Canada visitor visa to work