Canada Tightens C20 Work Permits, Requiring Foreign Workers Be Employed Abroad Before Entry
Updated
Updated · Punch Newspapers · Aug 3
Canada Tightens C20 Work Permits, Requiring Foreign Workers Be Employed Abroad Before Entry
3 articles · Updated · Punch Newspapers · Aug 3
Summary
July 29 guidance from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada now bars C20 reciprocal work permits for foreign nationals whose employment would start only after they arrive in Canada.
IRCC said the exemption under regulation R205(b) is meant to support reciprocal exchanges of skills and jobs, so applicants must already be employed by an overseas company to qualify.
The C20 route lets eligible workers avoid a Labour Market Impact Assessment; those who no longer qualify may have to use the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which adds cost and processing time.
In regions with unemployment of 6% or higher, employers also cannot seek LMIAs for jobs paying below 120% of the regional median wage, tightening hiring options further.
The change mainly affects multinationals, academic institutions, government bodies and international nonprofits, though IRCC said International Experience Canada permits are unaffected.