IRCC Puts an End to The Temporary Public Policy From COVID-19 Pandemic
Post by : Admin on Sep 03,2024
IRCC has finally put an end to the temporary public policy that was brought forth during the pandemic. The policy is used to let visitors apply for a work permit while living in the country. It was supposed to end on 28th February, 2025. However, the federal government scrapped it immediately to improve the efficiency of the Canadian immigration system.
What was the Temporary Public Policy About?
IRCC introduced this temporary policy in August 2020. The purpose was to help visitors stuck inside the country due to the pandemic. The policy allowed visitors in Canada to apply for a work permit without leaving the country.
However, some international workers also changed their status to ‘visitor’ whose work permit expired a year before. The visitor status was used to let them apply to work legally in the country while the government processes their new work permit application.
Why did the Government End the Policy So Soon?
Initially, the policy was supposed to end on 28th February 2025. The federal government ended it on 28th August 2024 for two major reasons:
- Regulate the number of temporary residents already living in Canada
- Improve the efficiency of the Canadian immigration system
IRCC had to curb this temporary policy also because some fraudsters were misleading international students into applying for work permits in Canada. This is a measure to address the existing labour gaps in Canada and stabilize the immigration system.
Are There Any Further Restrictions on Foreign Workers in Canada?
According to the CIC report, the end of the COVID-19 public policy is one of the attempts of the government to reduce the foreign worker levels in the country. The changes would help the country meet their labour shortages in specific sectors and streamline immigration.
Other changes include the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) halting the processing of LMIA applications for some candidates under the Low-Wage stream. This will affect candidates from Census Metropolitan Areas where the unemployment rate is 6% or higher. The government also announced that Canadian employers can hire foreign workers for 10% of their total workforce. The maximum employment term under the Low-Wage stream will be reduced to one year.
All in all, Canada is witnessing some major changes to the temporary worker programs. You should stay aware of all the immigration updates related to this field if you want to immigrate to this country and work here smoothly. There are immigration consultancy firms such as Onkar Immigration who can guide you through the process and make the journey easier.
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