Temporary immigrants are given another opportunity by the Canadian immigration department to prolong their stay in Canada.
According to the Canadian government’s website, temporary residents who had valid status on or after January 30, 2020, but whose status expired/expires on or before May 31, 2021, will have until August 31, 2021, to apply for status restoration.
On July 14, 2020, a temporary public policy was set up to exclude foreign nationals from certain requirements. It affects students, temporary workers, and visitors who were living in Canada when their status expired. Normally, to regain their status, they will have 90 days to apply.
Individuals who were affected by service disruptions because of the corona pandemic, however, can apply up to August 31, 2021. They must meet certain conditions for applying.
The public policy offers an exception for all foreign nationals in Canada from the obligation to apply for restoration within 90 days of losing temporary resident status. The 90 days duration has been extended for foreign nationals who had valid temporary resident status on or after 30 January 2020 but whose status expired on or before 31 May 2021.
To gain eligibility for the new policy, Applicants
- have been in Canada during January 30, 2020, and May 31, 2021, with valid status.
- lost their temporary residence status during this period while remaining in Canada since the entry
- should have applied for restoring temporary residence status and paid the application processing fees
To regain their status, they will have until August 31, 2021, to apply.
Requirements for Interim work authorization
The policy also applies to work permit holders with a job offer to work during the review of their application. This may refer to their application for work permits, or their restoration. If under this regulation, temporary workers are approved, they may be permitted to begin their employment while waiting for a decision to regain their status or obtain a work permit.
Eligibility for Interim Work Authorization
- Foreign nationals must have applied and paid all charges for an employer-specific work permit and restoration application.
- They should have a valid work permit within 12 months of the date on which they submitted their application for restoration.
- They expect to work for the employer or occupation specified in the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or the LMIA-exempt job offer included in their application for a work permit.
- Finally, they must fill an IRCC web form to apply for public policy. Further, they have to request that the exemption be applied before a decision is made on their work permit application .
