Due to COVID-19, many temporary foreign workers in Canada have lost their employment. Unfortunately, switching employers can take several months, making it difficult for employers in need to take advantage of this pool of existing labour. On May 12th, the Government of Canada announced a new, temporary policy that will substantially reduce the time it takes for temporary foreign workers with an employer-specific work permit to start a new job with a different employer. Effective immediately, temporary foreign workers with employer-specific work permits can get preliminary approval to start working in a new job with a different employer even though their work permit application is still being processed. Previous rules required temporary foreign workers to obtain a new work permit naming the new employer prior to starting work at a new job, a process which often takes several months. The new preliminary approval process will take 10 days or less. To be eligible, foreign workers must: be in Canada with valid status; have an employer-specific work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or International Mobility Program; and have submitted an application for a new work permit with a valid Labour Market Impact Assessment (“LMIA”) under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or a valid Online LMIA Exempt Offer of Employment under International Mobility Program. A work permit applicant who satisfies the above conditions can submit a request to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC”) for authorization to start working at their new job before the work permit is processed. Their request will be reviewed within 10 days and if approved, authorization will be sent to the worker by email. IRCC has not yet released details on the application process. The LMIA requirements for employers remain the same. The new policy will definitely help both employers and employees during these difficult times. Please contact our lawyers at Borders Law firm, if you have any questions. Back to all posts Share this post:
Lalit Kainth Borders Law Firm did a great job handling my parents H & C application. I definitely recommend to use them!
Jehiel Cabrera If you need a Immigration Law Firm that you can trust, Borders Law Firm is for you. We retained Devika and her team to work on a misrepresentation case. We asked them to help us in a very short period of time (less than a week) but they did an impeccable, impeccable job. They were willing to work and reply to our questions early and off hours and show their dedication to help out. In 2 weeks, we were able to get our work permit. Immigration issues are scary and its easy to feel hopeless but with the right people and resources, there will be a solution. I strongly recommend Devika, she showed a lot of care, very professional, very technical and very smart. You will not regret hiring her, her work is worth it, more than priceless! Special thanks to Hillen, for going above and beyond, making sure that our response letter is accurate and flawless.
Richa Jain Our biggest dilemma while researching for an Immigration Consultant was someone we could trust and that could manage our application well. We are so glad to have found Borders Law Firm. Devika gave us exceptional guidance due to which we got ICT Work Permit approval. Big thanks and appreciation for Jenny Mao for such professionalism and dexterity shown while handling our application. Kudos to BLF team for their superb work and simply for the trustworthiness they have ..… Best Wishes !
ravinder kaur I and my family want to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to Devika, John and the team at Borders Law firm for assisting us with the PRTD application at a time when most processing was closed due to lockdowns. They also worked proactively with us to establish a good strategy with back up plans which gave us sufficient information and assurance. Very responsive and forthcoming with information. Proactive in processing but at the same time they put enough time in the application and the supporting details to have high quality of the application. As a result our application was processed in 1 go at a time when it was critical and sensitive time for the family. Thank you again.