On June 7, 2022, enhancements to Canada’s super visa program were announced by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. These enhancements will make it easier for Canadians to reunite with their parents and grandparents in Canada and will allow super visa holders to stay for a longer period of time. These changes, which come into force on July 4, 2022, will increase the length of stay for super visa holders to 5 years per entry into Canada and people who have a super visa also have the option to request to extend their stay by up to 2 years at a time while in Canada. The enhancements will also allow the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to designate international medical insurance companies to provide coverage to super visa applicants in the future. Currently, only Canadian insurance providers can provide the necessary medical coverage that super visa applicants are required to have. Information about any designated medical insurance companies located outside of Canada will be communicated on IRCC’s website at a later date. Read the full announcement here.
Temporary Resident Programs
Good News for EE candidates, international students and TR to PR applicants still waiting for decision.
April 22, 2022—Several measures were announced today by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
- Express Entry draws will soon resume and that invitations for candidates to apply for permanent residence will begin in early July, and the vast majority of new applications will be processed within the 6-month service standard.
- A new temporary policy will give recent international graduates with expiring temporary status an opportunity to stay in Canada longer so that they can continue to gain work experience and have a better chance at qualifying for permanent residency. Starting in the summer of 2022, former international students who are in Canada and have a post-graduation work permit expiring between January and December 2022 will qualify for an additional open work permit of up to 18 months.
- The temporary public policy implemented in August 2020, allows foreign nationals in Canada as visitors to apply for an employer-specific work permit without having to leave Canada and this temporary public policy has been extended to February 28, 2023.
- Those who applied for permanent residence through the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway last year and are still being processed as of this summer no longer be required to remain in Canada while their application is being processed and applicants who apply for an open work permit while waiting for their permanent residence application to be finalized will be able to get work permits valid until the end of 2024. To support family reunification, immediate family members who are outside Canada and who were included in a principal applicant’s permanent residence application will be eligible for their own open work permit.
Students can start working while waiting for their Co-op work permit
As a temporary measure due to the COVID-19 situation, IRCC has announced that students who are outside of Canada can work while their study permit and co-op work permit are being processed. If their school and employer agree, they can either accept a Canadian work placement and begin working remotely from their home country or work for a company in their home country.
Students who are already in Canada, and have applied for a co-op work permit, may begin their co-op placement, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements (like studying full-time). Students may work full-time on the campus of the university or college. Off-campus, students can work a total of 20 hours per week during an academic term/semester, including both the hours for co-op and the hours for their regular paid job (if they have one). They can work full-time during scheduled breaks in the school year.
Expired or expiring PGWP holders get unique opportunity to apply for a new open work permit
Today, January 8, 2021, The Government of Canada announced a unique chance for international post-graduates with an expired or expiring Post-Graduate Work Permit to apply for another open work permit. Information on how to apply will probably follow soon on the website of IRCC.
Public Policy: Interim work authorization
The public policy allows former work permit holders with job offers to work while their restoration and work permit applications are being processed. If approved under this public policy, applicants may be authorized to start their employment while they await a decision on their restoration and work permit applications.
The public policy remains in effect until August 31, 2021. Eligible applications received on or before August 31, 2021, may benefit from this public policy.
More information on the website of IRCC.
Public Policy: Restoration exemption requirements
The public policy provides an exemption from the requirement to apply for restoration within 90 days of losing temporary resident status for all foreign nationals (former workers, students and visitors) in Canada. The period of 90 days has been extended for foreign nationals who had valid temporary resident status on or after January 30, 2020, but whose status expired on or before May 31, 2021. They will have until August 31, 2021, to apply to restore their status. If it’s been more than 90 days since your status expired you have until August 31, 2021, to apply to restore your status if you had a valid status on or after January 30, 2020, and your status expired on or before May 31, 2021. More information on the website of IRCC
Post-Graduate Work Permit Updates
Good news for students. When applying for the PGWP they no longer need to hold a valid study permit at the time of applying and the deadline is extended from 90 days to 180 days. More information can be found on the website of IRCC.
The new CPTPP agreement eliminates many barriers for business visitors and temporary workers
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a free trade agreement between Canada and 10 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
On December 30, 2018, the CPTPP entered into force among the first six countries to ratify the agreement – Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Singapore – and provides Canada with preferential access to key markets in Asia and Latin America.
Temporary entry provisions in free trade agreements (FTAs), such as those in the CPTPP, eliminate many barriers encountered at the border and thereby facilitate business travel or relocation on a temporary basis for specific categories of business persons, professionals and technicians.
Under the CPTPP, many professionals, tradespersons, technicians and managers from Asia-Pacific Region, who have an offer of employment in Canada, will be able to get work permits without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment or Provincial Nomination. The process of obtaining these are normally very time- and money consuming.
Citizens from the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam might profit from the new provisions. Please contact us or book an appointment to discuss your possibilities to come or stay in Canada as a foreign worker.
BC new legislation will better protect foreign workers
Under the proposed Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, employers in BC who hire foreign workers must be registered with the Province and recruiters of foreign workers must be licensed with the Province of BC. More information here.
Expanded age range for Australian young adults under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program
Today Canada and Australia announced an agreement to expand the age range in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Canada and Australia concerning Youth Mobility. Through the amended MoU, Canadian and Australian young adults aged 18 to 35 will now be able to work and travel through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. Read more on the website of IRCC.
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