Good News for Foreign Workers in Canada: Change Jobs Without Waiting for a New Work Permit!

The Canadian government has announced an extension of a temporary policy that allows foreign workers holding closed work permits to transfer to another employer or take on a new job position without having to wait until they have a new work permit.

What is a closed work permit?

This is a work permit that is tied to a specific employer and a specific job position. Under normal circumstances, workers with this type of permit are only allowed to work for the company listed on the permit, in the position listed. If they want to change employers or move to a new role, they must apply for a new work permit and wait for it to be issued before they can start their new job.

However, since the COVID-19 era, the Government of Canada has introduced a temporary flexibility policy that allows workers in this situation to change jobs quickly without having to wait for a new permit – as long as they meet certain conditions.

Conditions to apply this special policy:

Foreign workers must:

1. Currently present in Canada, with valid temporary resident status (including those in “maintained status” – meaning they have applied to renew their permit and are awaiting a decision).
2. Have applied for a new work permit or extended an existing work permit.
3. Still authorized to work at the time of applying for a new permit.
4. Intend to work for a new employer or in a new position, and have a formal job offer from that place of employment.

Additionally, workers need to apply for this temporary policy, and must wait for a confirmation letter from IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) before starting a new job.

Typically this confirmation letter will be sent via email within 10 to 15 days of submitting the request.

What changes in the new policy?

• The newly extended policy will officially take effect from May 27, 2025, replacing the old policy that has been applied since May 2020.

• A notable change is that the biometrics exemption from the original policy is no longer in place. This means that when applying for a new work permit, workers may still have to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at the reception center.

• The new policy will remain in effect until further notice – and like all temporary policies, may be cancelled at any time without notice.

For more details and instructions on how to apply for this policy, workers can visit the official IRCC website. Or if you need assistance explaining the documents or applying, you can contact TTN immigration for specific instructions and the latest information.