Canada has stated that a coronavirus-related measure allowing travelers to get work permits would be extended until February 28, 2022.

Temporary residents in Canada with valid visitor status have been able to apply for an employer-specific work permit from within Canada since August 24, 2020. Normally, foreign employees in Canada on a visitor’s visa cannot change status without leaving the country, therefore this is a temporary regulation change.

When it was first implemented, the measure was meant to assist employers who were having problems hiring workers, as well as to allow tourists who were experiencing visa issues owing to the epidemic to access the labor market.

Several visitors were unable to leave the country due to limited air travel, while some foreign workers were forced to alter their status to “visitor” because their work licenses had expired and they were unable to apply for new ones due to a shortage of jobs.

Initially, the policy enabled all travelers to apply for a work visa if they arrived in Canada before August 24 and had valid temporary residence status. Since then, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) have broadened the requirements to cover all visitors, regardless of when they arrived in Canada.

In order to get your hands on an employer-specific work permit, those belonging to the category of visitors need to fulfill the following conditions:

• be in Canada with a valid temporary resident status as a visitor, including maintained status, when they submit the work permit application;
• have submitted an employer-specific work permit application;
• continue in Canada with a valid status;
• and submit the application before February 28, 2022.

Foreign nationals who match the following criteria and have held a valid Canadian work permit for the past 12 months are also eligible to apply for temporary work authorization for their new employer while their application is being processed. Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to apply for interim work authorization:

• desire to work for their employer and in the occupation listed on their work visa application;
• complete an IRCC Webform.

This extension will benefit travelers who have been allowed to visit Canada despite the coronavirus’s travel restrictions. Travel restrictions have been loosening since August, with the border reopening to US citizens and, as of September 7, 2021, all properly vaccinated international passengers.

While Canada is in a better position than many other countries, the epidemic is nevertheless having a substantial economic and social impact.

As a result, the government is redoubling its efforts to boost its workforce by allowing both current and new immigrants to contribute to the country’s economic recovery and labor market strength. According to the most recent labor market data, there were 815,800 job opportunities in June, the largest number since Statistics Canada began collecting data in October 2020. The labor shortfall is likely to increase in the coming months.