Starting August 28, visitors in Canada on a temporary visa can no longer apply for work permits from within the country. This policy, initially introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, aimed to assist visitors stranded due to border closures.
Although it was set to expire in February 2025, IRCC has terminated it early to manage temporary resident numbers. Applications submitted before August 28 will still be processed, but the rollback also aims to prevent misuse by those illegally working in Canada.
This move is part of broader efforts to combat immigration fraud and reduce the temporary foreign worker population, following recent measures such as the pause on some Labour Market Impact Assessment applications and restrictions on the hiring of foreign workers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
