Canada’s federal government has stepped in to help foreign workers who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The government has come with a new policy that will allow temporary workers whose applications were being processed to start working immediately as they wait for permits. What’ s more, the government announced that the waiting delays would be no more. The application process will be expedited and what’s used to take ten weeks will only take ten business days.
The global coronavirus pandemic has adversely affected the country’s labor force. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) saw it prudent to take proactive measures that will help save the country’s labor force and economic turmoil during this unprecedented times. According to recent reports, thousands of foreign experts lost their jobs after Covid-19 hit the world and are unable to fly back home due to tight restrictions on international flights.
At the same time, some of the country’s giant economic sectors, such as agriculture, food processing industries, and health department are facing an acute shortage of labor force.
Under the existing labor laws, a temporary foreign worker holding an employer-specific work permit is required to apply for new permits, bearing the new employer’s name before he or she can legally start working for the new employer. The waiting period before the new permit is issued used to take ten weeks.
According to the new policy, any foreign worker who had already submitted their application to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) will only have to wait for ten business days. If their request is approved, they will receive an email notification. They then can legally start working under their new boss.
To be eligible for the ten days waiting period, a candidate must meet the following criteria;
- The candidate must be within the country and with a valid status.
- The candidate must have applied for a new work permit with an ongoing valid job offer under the international mobile program or the temporary foreign worker program.
- The candidate must be holding an employer-specific work permit, or he or she must have been working under a work permit exception.
