Canada extends Interim Authorization to Work Policy for TRVs

Canada extends interim authorization to work policy for another year for eligible Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) holders. These are for TRV holders who are in Canada and want to apply for a work permit supported by a job offer without leaving the country. These measures, originally introduced in August 2020, will now be in effect until February 28, 2023.

The public policy not only allows valid TRV holders in Canada to apply for employer-specific work permits from inside Canada, it also allows eligible visitors to start working before even receiving the work permit.

Policy objectives

This public policy will

permit eligible foreign nationals with valid temporary resident status as visitors to apply for a job offer-supported work permit from inside Canada
exempt eligible foreign nationals from the requirement that a work permit not be issued if they have not complied with certain temporary residence conditions
allow eligible former temporary foreign workers to work while a decision on their work permit application is pending

Eligibility Criteria For Visitors To Apply For An Employer-specific Work Permit

In order to be eligible, a foreign national must:

be in Canada;
have submitted an employer-specific work permit application using the Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker [IMM 5710];
have stayed in Canada with status since submitting the application;
submit the application before February 28, 2023.

Eligibility Criteria for Interim Authorization

If you are a visitor who is applying for a work permit in Canada and held a valid work permit in the last 12 months you can ask to be allowed to work while IRCC processes your application.

To meet the eligibility criteria you must:

be physically present in Canada when you apply;
be a visitor with valid status when you apply for the work permit;
if your visitor status has expired, you’ll need to restore your visitor status before you apply for a work permit;
applied for an employer-specific work permit between August 24, 2020, and February 28, 2023; and
have held a work permit that was valid in the 12 months before you applied for a new work permit.

Interim Authorization to Work

Prior to the pandemic, if you were a TRV holder, you could not apply for a work permit from within Canada. Instead, you could submit a work permit application while in Canada to your country of origin’s visa office. If your work permit was approved, you needed to physically leave Canada and re-enter for the work permit to take effect.

Although you can apply for a work permit from within Canada, you cannot work until IRCC approves the work permit. According to the IRCC website, this can take about 132 days. In order to address this issue, IRCC introduced the “Interim Authorization to Work.” If you meet the eligibility criteria, you can get this authorization quickly. This enables you to work while IRCC processes your work permit application. The purpose is to enable those with an employer-specific job offer to begin work immediately.

How To Get Interim Authorization To Work

Interim authorization to work is not automatic.

Eligible foreign nationals must request the interim authorization to work using the IRCC Web form. When the Client Support Centre transfers the incoming web forms, officers should see one of the following messages from the applicant in the IRCC Web form. This will flag that the request is to be considered under this public policy.

It is then a two-step process to get interim authorization.

Step 1: Contact IRCC

After you apply for your work permit, fill out the IRCC Web form.

When you fill out the “Your enquiry” section, copy the text: Message to request interim authorization to work

Ensure you fill out the sections in square brackets, including the:

dates;
work permit number (begins with a “U”);
name of your employer; and
title of your job.

If you applied on paper and don’t know your application number, include your courier tracking number. This will ensure IRCC can find your application.

If you have other questions, you need to fill out a new IRCC Web form.

Step 2: Wait for IRCC to contact you

There is a 30 business day service standard for assessment of requests under the public policy. So, once you submit the web form, you must wait for IRCC to email you to let you know that you can start working.

For more information about this public policy, visit the policy web page.

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