Visitors can continue applying for work permits inside Canada
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 Mar, 2023 11:50 AM
Toronto, March 2 (IANS) Foreign nationals who are in Canada as visitors and who receive a valid job offer will be able to apply for and receive a work permit without having to leave the country, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.
The move, an extension of a Covid-era temporary public policy that was set to expire today, has now been extended by two years, until February 28, 2025.
Visitors applying under this public policy who held a work permit within the last 12 months will also continue to be able to request interim work authorization to begin working for their new employer more quickly.
Prior to this temporary policy change, those applying to work in Canada would typically need to apply for their initial work permit before they came to Canada.
If they were already in Canada with visitor status when they were approved for a work permit, they would need to leave the country to be issued their work permit.
With this policy in place, leaving Canada isn't necessary.
Those looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must have valid status in Canada as a visitor on the day they apply, and have a job offer that is supported by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.
An LMIA is an application that an employer makes to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to evaluate if hiring foreign workers will have a positive, neutral or negative impact on the Canadian economy.
If ESDC deems the impact is negative, the employer will not be eligible to hire foreign nationals, according to CIC News.
Under the policy, applicants must also submit an application for an employer-specific work permit no later than February 28, 2025.
IRCC said that continuing this policy makes visitors an option for employers in Canada, many of whom are facing significant labour shortages during a period of economic expansion.
There was an overall decrease in the number of vacancies to 848,000 from over one million, according to Statistics Canada data from December 2022.
However, key sectors like healthcare, food and social assistance still need more employees to fill in-demand positions.
“I was in the same store where I bought the ticket,” recalled Raj, who shared a Maxmillions prize from the draw with another winner in Ontario. “I checked a few tickets and they were small wins, then I checked the winning ticket and I was sweating.”
Farnworth says the provincial government has dedicated $1.6 million to the Sumas dike project, as he gave an update on recovery progress ahead of the one-year anniversary of what he called "one of the most devastating weather events in the history of our province."
Health Canada pegged the problem to “unprecedented demand since the summer,” with stock “limited” at stores and hospitals in various parts of the country. Observers point to a complex web of factors driving demand, limiting supply and complicating any attempt at a quick fix.
A statement from the Surrey Police Union says 94 per cent of its members have signed a pledge to refuse to apply to, or join, the Mounties, if newly elected Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke makes good on a campaign promise to cancel the city's switch from the national police force to a municipal one.
The victim, a convenience store, shared that when the suspect was spoken to about not paying for ice cream, he began to strike the staff member and brandished a knife. Charges related to assault with a weapon and breach of conditions are being recommended.
In that scenario, the Canadian economy would contract by 0.3 per cent in 2023 and grow by 1.3 per cent in 2024. The PBO says this analysis represents only one of many possible scenarios that could play out in the Canadian economy.
