If you’re a visitor in Canada on a tourist visa, good news! You can still apply for a work permit until February 28, 2025.
To those wondering, yes, you can apply for a work permit while you’re in Canada. Just make sure you meet the requirements to strengthen your application.
If you’re visiting Canada on a tourist visa and thinking about getting a work permit, it’s not as simple as just sending in an application to the immigration office.
To be eligible, you’ll need to meet the requirements for a work permit, which includes having a supporting Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a valid job offer from a Canadian employer (and if the job offer is given, it needs to be LMIA-exempt).
In 2020, a temporary public policy was introduced, and recently former immigration minister Sean Fraser extended it. According to this policy, if you’re a visitor in Canada and land a job offer, you can apply for a work visa without having to leave the country.
Those applying under this policy, who’ve had a work permit in the last 12 months, can also ask for temporary work authorization. This allows them to start working for their new employer sooner.
Policy's Purpose ;-
Here’s the deal with this policy: With the ongoing challenges of finding enough workers in Canada’s growing economy, we’ve decided to keep this temporary policy in play.
Before this change, if you wanted to work in Canada, you had to apply for your initial work visa from outside the country. And if you were already in Canada as a visitor when you got the green light for a work permit, you had to pack your bags and leave before you could start working.
But guess what? Thanks to this new policy, you don’t need to leave Canada anymore!
Originally, this policy was just for folks who arrived before August 24, 2020, and had a job offer along with some other requirements. But then we thought, why not make it easier for everyone? So, we tweaked the policy to welcome all visitor visa holders entering Canada, regardless of when they arrived.
Eligibility Criteria To Apply ;-
If you’re eager to take advantage of this temporary public policy, make sure to meet these criteria:
Hold a valid visitor status in Canada when applying.
Secure a job offer supported by a labor market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.
Submit your application for an employer-specific work permit by February 28, 2025.
Fulfill all other standard admissibility requirements.
If you’re a candidate with visitor status who has had a work permit in the last 12 months under this policy, you’re still eligible if you meet these conditions:
Be physically present in Canada when applying.
Stay in the country throughout the application processing period.
Don't leave while your application is being processed to maintain eligibility.
Ensure your visitor status is valid when applying for the work permit.
Renew expired visitor status before applying for the work permit.
Applied for an employer-specific work permit between August 24, 2020, and February 28, 2025.
Had a valid work permit in the 12 months before applying for a new work permit.
Visitors inside Canada who’ve had a valid work permit in the last 12 months can follow specific guidelines to obtain an interim work permit.
Qualifications for Temporary Work Authorization ;-
If you’re on a visitor visa and have had a valid work permit in the last year, you can apply for Interim Work Authorization through a temporary arrangement.
Once you’ve applied for a work permit following this policy, fill out the IRCC Web form with the details specified below, including:
1. Dates
2. Work permit number (starts with a “U”)
3. Your employer’s name
4. Your job title
After completing the webform, wait for an email from IRCC. Once you receive it, you’re good to start working. This serves as your interim work authorization until you get the actual work permit, and the whole process may take up to 30 days (6 weeks).
How long does it take for a Canada visitor visa to be processed into a work permit?
If you’re applying for a work permit online from within Canada, the current processing time, according to the latest update from IRCC, is around 135 days on average. On the other hand, if you’re going the traditional paper-based route, the processing time is approximately 17 days from the moment IRCC receives your application.
