Foreign nationals who have lost their jobs due to coronavirus have the additional pressure of worrying whether they will also lose their status in Canada and whether the job loss would impact their applications for Canadian immigration.
There are ways to live in Canada, even after you have lost your job. If you are on a work permit in Canada, you will have the option of extending your permit, applying for a new permit, or changing your status to a student or visitor— if you act before your current status expires.
Although it's true that Canadian work experience is highly valued for immigration of the economic class, temporary residents who are now unemployed will benefit from implied status.
Temporary residents along with study and work permit holders who have applied to renew their status are permitted to remain in Canada under the terms of their original permit before a decision on their application is taken.
The implied status continues until a decision on the new request is made. If the application is accepted, then the applicant can continue to work or study under the terms of their new permit. If not, foreigners have the option of leaving Canada or applying for restore status if their initial permit has expired for less than 90 days. It’s worth noting that foreign nationals are unable to continue to work or research while waiting for a restoration status decision which is different from the status implied.
Employer-specific work permit holders
Foreign employees with employer-specific work permits, who lose their job can legally remain in Canada until the status of their work permit expires. They're not allowed to work for anybody else in Canada, however.
They can also apply as a visitor or student to stay in Canada as long as they
· Meet the applicable visa conditions,
· Apply before their current work permit expires.
However, it is not possible to continue to work if the work permit expires.
Openwork permit holders
The benefit open work permit holders have is the freedom to work for almost any employer, anywhere in Canada. Any of those license holders may also want to prolong their stay in Canada to apply for permanent residency, however.
Not all holders of open work permits are eligible for the renewal. It is necessary to verify whether you are eligible for an extension under the Open Work Permit Pilot spousal or common law, the Bridging Open Work Permit, or the Working Holiday Visa class if they meet the appropriate criteria.
With many people losing their jobs due to coronavirus, Canada still needs immigrants to help tackle long-term economic problems such as declining labour force and labour market shortages. The Government acknowledges this and continues to embrace and process Canadian immigration applications as such.
