Turning your Visitor Visa to a Work Permit Inside Canada

Before the emergence of COVID-19, temporary residents with visitor status were unable to apply for a work permit from within Canada. As of August 2020, the Government of Canada expanded the eligibility criteria to allow all visitors with valid temporary resident status to apply inland for an employer-specific work permit, regardless of when they arrived in Canada. This policy will remain in place until February 2022. Keep reading to find out more!

Policy Objectives

This policy aims to:

• Allow eligible foreign nationals with valid temporary resident status as visitors to apply for a work permit inside Canada.
• Exempt eligible foreign nationals from the requirement that a work permit not be issued if they have not complied with certain temporary residence conditions
• Allow eligible former temporary foreign nationals to work while a decision on their work permit application is pending approval.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for an employer-specific work permit, you must:

• Reside in Canada with valid temporary resident status as a visitor
• Have a valid job offer
• Submit an employer-specific work permit application
• Remain in Canada with status after submitting their application
• Submit the application on or before February 28, 2022

In addition to meeting the criteria above, a former temporary worker who converted to visitor status may also be eligible for interim authorization to work if they:

• Had valid temporary resident status at the time of work permit application submission and have remained in Canada since
• Held a valid work permit in the 12 months before submitting their application for a work permit under this public policy
• Intend to work for the occupation specified by the LMIA or LMIA-exempt offer of employment included in their work permit application
• Applied to IRCC for the interim authorization to work using the IRCC web form
• Requested that the authorization to work be valid until a decision is made on their work permit application.

What is Considered a Valid Job Offer?

A valid job offer must:

• Be recent (less than one year old)
• Be in writing
• Not be from an embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada.
• State the details of the job offer, including:
• Pay and deductions
• Job duties
• Conditions of employment

If you’re a visitor in Canada with valid temporary resident status and are interested in applying for a work permit, contact David Akinmoluwa on WhatsApp at +1-587-974-8942 or via email at info@crestimmigration.ca.