July 15, 2021—Ottawa—The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced today that, beginning July 26, 2021, individuals who have applied for the recently opened pathway to permanent residence will be eligible for an open work permit while awaiting the results of their application.

The pathway to permanent residence was opened to international students who graduated from a Canadian institution, health care workers and those in other designated essential occupations on May 6, 2021. To qualify for the pathway, individuals must be legally working in Canada at the time of their application and maintain their temporary resident status until a decision is made on their permanent residence application.

Many whose status is set to expire are able to extend their work permit under existing programs, or receive a new permit under one of the temporary measures put in place as a result of the pandemic, such as the public policy for post-graduation work permit holders.

We recognize the potential disruption and uncertainty for applicants who have an expiring work permit, and have been working to ensure that those who don’t qualify for existing measures won’t lose their temporary status and work authorization.

To qualify for this one-time open work permit, the applicants must show that they

• have successfully submitted an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams
• held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit, at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
• hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months
• have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore their status at the time their open work permit application is submitted
• are in Canada at the time their open work permit application is submitted
• were employed in any occupation at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
• meet the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the time their permanent residence application was submitted

“Our new path to permanent residence for 90,000 essential workers and international graduates is a major step forward—the size, speed and scope of which is unprecedented. This new open work permit ensures that those who have been playing critical roles throughout the pandemic can continue their extraordinary service. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting—and we want you to stay.”

 

– The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

Quick Facts

• An applicant’s spouse or common-law partner and dependent children 18 years or older may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit under this policy, if they are also in Canada. 

• Applications for the new work permit should be submitted online. Further details on how to apply will be added to IRCC’s website on July 26, 2021.

• Work permits issued under this policy will be valid until December 31, 2022.

• Those who have applied to extend their work permit before their current one has expired may maintain their status and have authorization to work without a permit under the same conditions as the original while the new permit is being processed. 

Learn more at www.canada.ca