Canada does a remarkable change in its immigration rules temporarily. Many foreign workers will now be able to travel to Canada for work without having a work permit. The interested candidates will be able to travel to Canada on a temporary visitor’s visa for working for essential occupations amid current circumstances.
Canada’s temporary visit visa can also be applied online and if the VAC centers are open in your country/country of residence, you may be able to get your biometrics taken there.
Foreign Essential workers who want to immigrate to Canada to support critical infrastructure and for health and safety causes may be exempt from travel restrictions.
The foreign workers may obtain an exemption if they meet the conditions. Essential workers are those who perform many of the operations and services that are usually needed to continue the necessary infrastructure and operations. The following foreign workers may exempt from travel limitations if they are going to Canada for:
- Safety reasons
- to support Essential health
- To support critical infrastructure
If you are a foreign worker and want to work in an essential occupation you will be required:
- Electronic travel authorization (eTA) Or
- Temporary residence visa (TRA)
Canada is also making sure that its embassies and consulates abroad give priority to these applicants when they apply for TRV.
You will need one of them instead of a work permit. International workers who want to immigrate to Canada to support critical infrastructure and who are exempt from travel limitations may not need a work permit to work lawfully in Canada. Moreover, certain specialists may also be exempt from the obligatory 14 days isolation period.
- Foreign workers performing duties in emergency and medical services provider
- Foreign nationals who usually qualify for an LMIA-exempt work permit under LMIA exemption code C13 may enter Canada under the paragraph R186(t) exemption if their work is related to the protection or preservation of life or property related to the COVID-19 response and maintenance of essential infrastructure or services.
- People permitted to perform as a student in a health field, like a clinical elective or a clinical representative
- They must be planning to travel to Canada for the primary purpose of acquiring training if they have written approval from the body that regulates that field. They must have a valid medical certificate if they are working within the health service field, even if they are work permit-exempt.
- People work in the marine transportation categories (R186(s))
- A worker who is performing his duties maintaining or repairing medically important instruments and machines (R186(a))
- Workers who are performing in medical deliveries of cells, blood and blood products, organs, tissues, and other body segments (R186(t))
- Workers giving essential services when they will in Canada, as set on by the Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO).
Chief Public Health Officer (CPHO) also declared that the people who are supporting special open water aquaculture-related programs like fishing, transporting fish treating fish for pests, and repair.
People of these categories will be allowed to enter Canada and they will be given exemption from the 14 days isolation period if they show negative corona tests. Chief Public Health Officer declared that the significant workers are also providing essential service in Canada. Certain specialist and technicians are also included in these categories, such as specialist and technicians will immigrate to Canada to inspect, maintain, repair or install an instrument that is mandatory to support critical infrastructure. They will immigrate to Canada as business visitors. Important thing is that if their job is not part of a current agreement, they may require a work permit.
Once all procedure is done, at the point of boarding, foreign nationals can self-identify to airlines that they are exempt from the travel restriction by presenting alternative documentation to show how they meet the criteria. The proof can be any of the following in accordance with the travelers occupation:
- for persons who are among the class of persons determined by the CPHO to provide an essential service while in Canada, evidence that they fall under one of the classes stated above that explicitly states they will be installing, inspecting, repairing, or maintaining equipment on critical infrastructure
- a letter from shipping agents for persons joining vessels
- a letter of invitation from a relevant organization in Canada (federal, provincial or municipal government entity) for emergency services providers,
- for health care students, a letter of invitation from a relevant teaching institution
Other work permit priority based occupations
Canada is also prioritizing some other occupations for LMIA’s and work permits. These job areas can be considered exempt from current travel restrictions. However, these all do not correspond with work permit exemption rules.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) will prioritize the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for the following job sectors according to national occupational classification:
- NOC 6331 – Butchers, meat cutters and fishmongers – retail and wholesale
- NOC 7511 – Transport truck drivers
- NOC 8252 – Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers
- NOC 8431 – General farm workers
- NOC 8432 – Nursery and greenhouse workers
- NOC 8611 – Harvesting labourers
- NOC 9463 – Fish and seafood plant workers
- NOC 9617 – Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing
- NOC 9618 – Labourers in fish and seafood processing
- NOC 9462 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers
OPPB will also pull a list of the following NOC codes for health-related work permit applications to ensure they are prioritized:
- NOC 3011 – Nursing co-ordinators and supervisors
- NOC 3012 – Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- NOC 3111 – Specialist physicians
- NOC 3112 – General practitioners and family physicians
- NOC 3124 – Allied primary health practitioners
- NOC 3125 – Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating
- NOC 3131 – Pharmacists
- NOC 3211 – Medical laboratory technologists
- NOC 3212 – Medical laboratory technicians and pathologists’ assistants
- NOC 3214 – Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists, and cardiopulmonary technologists
- NOC 3215 – Medical radiation technologists
- NOC 3217 – Cardiology technologists and electrophysiological diagnostic technologists, n.e.c.
- NOC 3233 – Licensed practical nurses
- NOC 3234 – Paramedical occupations
- NOC 3413 – Nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates
- NOC 4411 – Home child care providers (LMIA-required in-Canada applicants)
- NOC 4412 – Home support workers, excluding housekeepers (LMIA-required in-Canada applicants)
More detailed information can be read here on the IRCC’s official portal.