COVID-19 outbreak has impacted the employment landscape and Canadian economy significantly. Many TFWs with employer specific work permit have lost jobs while in agriculture, agri-food and healthcare sectors employers are facing labour shortage. Thus, in response to Canada’s labour market needs Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has temporarily changed the policy which will allow temporary foreign workers (TFW’s), who already have a job offer in Canada, to start working in 10 days while their application is being processed during this pandemic.
According to the new policy if the temporary workers have job offer, they can submit a request to IRCC to have authorization of work. Their request will be reviewed in 10 days and if approved they will be notified through email. They can start working at their new job. This shall reduce the time required for a temporary worker to start new job from 10 weeks to 10 days.
Eligibility Criteria
- workers must be in Canada with valid status;
- they must have an employer-specific work permit or have been working under a work permit exemption; and
- they must have applied for a new work permit with a valid job offer under either the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, or the International Mobility Program.
Role of Employers
However, employers still must obtain positive LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and get the foreign worker’s name added to it. For employer-specific LMIA-exempt situations, employers still need to submit an offer of employment through Employer Portal.
How to apply?
Workers must first apply for a work permit from inside Canada with new employer online or paper-based. After applying IRCC will ask applicants to fill out the web form, which will facilitate communication between applicants and the Canadian immigration department. IRCC will then send an email in 10 business days confirming the applicant can start working for their new employer while their application is under processing.
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