Canadian visitor visa holders will no longer be able to apply for work permits within the country, according to a statement by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on Wednesday.
The policy, which previously allowed visitors to obtain work permits without leaving Canada, will be discontinued immediately as part of broader efforts to manage the number of temporary residents and maintain the integrity of the immigration system.
This change comes amid recent immigration reforms that have sparked protests, particularly among international students.
Although the temporary policy was originally set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC has decided to end it sooner.
The policy was introduced in August 2020 to help visitors in Canada who were unable to return home due to COVID-19-related border closures.
It allowed visitors to apply for work permits within the country and permitted those who had held a work permit within the last 12 months and had switched to visitor status to work legally while awaiting a decision on their new work permit application.
However, IRCC noted that “some bad actors were using the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without authorization.”
Despite the policy’s termination, applications submitted before August 28, 2024, will still be processed under the old rules.
Earlier this week, tensions escalated when tens of thousands of international students protested across Canada against new immigration policies introduced by the federal government.
These changes could lead to the deportation of approximately 70,000 students.
In 2023, international students comprised 37 percent of study visa holders in Canada, but a recent cap on student visas is expected to reduce the intake of foreign students by 35 percent.
The government argues that this measure is necessary to ease pressures on housing, unemployment, and public services.
Further regulations were tightened in June when the Canadian government announced that foreign nationals would no longer be able to apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) at the border.
This decision has raised concerns among students worried about their future in Canada.
Student advocacy groups, including the Naujawan Support Network, have warned that many international graduates could face deportation once their work permits expire at the end of the year.
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