Canada has officially barred holders of visitor visas from applying for work permits while within the country. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced this change in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the directive takes immediate effect.

“Although the temporary policy was initially set to expire on February 28, 2025, IRCC is ending it as part of our broader efforts to recalibrate the number of temporary residents in Canada and to preserve the integrity of the immigration system,” the statement explained.

The IRCC also acknowledged that some individuals had exploited the policy to mislead foreign nationals into working in Canada without proper authorization. However, applications submitted before August 28, 2024, will still be processed under the previous policy.

The policy, introduced in August 2020, was originally designed to help visitors in Canada who were unable to return home due to COVID-19-related border closures. It allowed them to apply for a work permit without leaving Canada. Additionally, those who had held a work permit within the preceding 12 months but had changed their immigration status to "visitor" were eligible to work legally in Canada while awaiting a decision on their new work permit application.