Blue Bird Blog

IRCC to provide more flexibility for work permit holders to also study in Canada

On June 27th, 2023, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a new temporary measure that will remove the limit on the length of study programs that temporary foreign workers can enrol in without a study permit. Through this measure, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is recognizing that foreign workers can face barriers in the types of study programs they are allowed to pursue to get additional training and education that will help them in their careers.

Prior to this change, foreign workers could study while working, but only in programs of 6 months or less. If they wanted to enrol in a longer program, they would have to apply for a separate study permit. This has been a hurdle for foreign workers who want to improve their education and receive more training, especially those needing to validate their foreign credentials through certain programs.

The new temporary measure will last three years. Foreign workers will be able to study full or part time while holding a valid work permit, with no restrictions on the length of the program.

The temporary measure will apply to those who hold a valid work permit or have a pending decision on their work permit extension on June 27, 2023. However, if a foreign worker wants to study longer than the duration of their work permit, they will need to apply for a study permit.

The measure will help foreign workers expand their future job prospects. It will also expand their opportunities to transition to permanent residence by increasing their Comprehensive Ranking Score (CRS) through higher levels of education or by gaining qualifying work experience.

“With this policy in place, we hope to empower foreign nationals to improve their skills in order to meet their career goals and achieve their dreams, while providing a future potential source of talent for our labour market. By removing barriers to skills development, we open the door to more foreign-trained doctors and nurses to help take care of our loved ones and support our healthcare system. We also provide a path for construction labourers to become tradespersons, and strengthen our communities and build new homes. This immigration measure helps employers, workers, and our economy by addressing critical labour shortages.” said Sean Fraser.

Source : cicnews.com

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Visitors no longer allowed to apply for work permits from within Canada

As of August 28, temporary residents in Canada on a visitor visa are no longer permitted to apply for a job-supported work permit from within Canada.
The temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for these work permits was introduced in August 2020 to assist some visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic—with the further aim of aiding employers to fill key labour gaps, by allowing some visitors who met certain conditions to apply for an job-supported work permit from inside Canada.

Quebec announces suspension of LMIA processing for some low-wage temporary foreign workers

Starting September 3rd, the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) to applicants in Montréal will be suspended for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD (the Quebec median hourly wage). This measure is expected to be in place for the next six months and has been approved by the federal government of Canada.

How long will it take to become a permanent resident of Canada in 2024?

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada often look for the fastest pathway to achieving their goal and starting a new life in this country.
On a basic level, Canada has four primary immigration classes: economic immigration, family-class sponsorship, humanitarian/compassionate immigration and immigration for refugees/protected persons.
However, within those four general classifications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides foreign nationals with more than 100 ways to immigrate to Canada.

Finding a job in Ontario

Recently the Ontario provincial government chose to make it illegal for employers to require Canadian work experience in their job advertisements, in addition to making it mandatory for all job postings to feature salaries.
Both steps represent victories, not just for the Ontario labour force (who will now be able to see how the potential salary of a job compares to provincial and national averages); but especially for newcomers to Ontario—who are often held back from roles and professions they are qualified for, based on their lack of Canadian experience.
Considering these two changes, CIC News has compiled the following guide for newcomers looking for a job in Ontario.

IRCC announces cap on admissions for international students

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced that is implanting a temporary cap on the number of international students who are issued study visas. A release from IRCC shows that for 2024, the cap is "expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35% from 2023."
Further, IRCC is introducing caps for each province and territory. The department says the caps will be weighted by population, and will result in significant decreases in provinces where the international student population has seen the most unsustainable growth.