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.
