With the Covid-19 pandemic impacting almost every sector in Canada, the government has put in place a temporary policy to reduce the time it takes for a temporary foreign worker to start a new job.
While this policy is in place, a worker who is already in Canada and has secured a new job offer can get approval to start working in their new job, even while their work permit application is being fully processed. This will cut a 10-week-plus process to 10 days or less.
To be eligible, workers must be in Canada with valid status, have an employer-specific work permit or have been working under a work permit exemption, and have submitted an application for a new work permit with a valid job offer under either the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program.
“Immigrants, temporary foreign workers and international students are making considerable contributions to Canada’s response to the unprecedented challenge that Covid-19 poses,” said Marco E. L. Mendicino minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. “We know and value their efforts and sacrifices to keep Canadians healthy and ensure the delivery of critical goods and services. The new policy we are announcing will allow Canadian businesses to recruit the workers they need and help unemployed workers contribute to the Canadian economy during this pandemic.”