Time-Limited Permanent Residency Programs for Workers and Students in Canada

Yesterday,  IRCC announced 4 unprecedented public policies creating new time-limited programs to facilitate permanent residence for individuals working in Canada. Here’s what you need to know:

• International workers who have completed at least 1 year of work experience in Canada, within the past 3 years, in an eligible occupation listed in Annex A or Annex B of the public policy can qualify. Eligible occupations incorporate a variety of essential roles during this pandemic and include many “low-skilled” occupations!!
• There are 2 streams to this policy. Stream A is for individuals with work experience in one or more of the occupations in Annex A. Stream B is for individuals with work experience in one or more of the occupations in Annex B or a combination of experience from occupations in Annex A or B.
• At the time of application, the applicant must be employed but this can be in any occupation – not only the listed occupations.
• The applicant must have obtained at least CLB 4 in either French or English
• For Stream A, there is a cap of 20,000 applications. For Stream B, there is a cap of 30,000 applications.

Policy 2 – French-Speaking Individuals Working in an Essential Occupation

• The work experience requirement and the 2 streams are the same as Policy 1. An applicant must also be employed at the time of application but, again, this can be in any occupation.
• Applicants must have obtained a minimum of CLB 4 in French.
• There is no maximum number of applications that IRCC will receive through this policy.

Policy 3 – Recent International Student Graduates

• International students can qualify under this program if you have recently (January 2017 onwards) graduated from a program of study at an eligible Designated Learning Institution and have been granted one of the following credentials:
  • A degree from a program that was at least 8 months in length;
  • A degree, diploma, certificate or attestation from a program of any length but which led to an occupation in a trade listed in Annex A (of this policy); OR
  • One or more diplomas, certificates or attestations, where each program was at least 8 months in length and the  combined length of the program(s) was at least 2 years.
• While there is no minimum work experience requirement, the applicant does need to be employed at the time the application is submitted.
• The applicant must have obtained at least CLB 5 in either of the official languages.
• IRCC will be accepting a maximum of 40,000 applications.

Policy 4 – French-Speaking Recent International Student Graduates

• The eligibility criteria for this program is the same as Policy 3 except that the applicant must have obtained a minimum of CLB 5 in French.
• There is no maximum number of applications that IRCC will receive through this policy.

For all the above programs, work experience or study obtained to qualify must have been with valid authorization, and the applicant must be residing in Canada with valid temporary status both at the time the application is received and when the application is approved. Finally, applicants also must have an intent to reside outside of Quebec.

These temporary policies will be in effect as of May 6, 2021 and will end on the earlier of November 5, 2021, or, once the maximum number of applications are received.

Our firm will be hosting a free webinar to discuss the above programs on Tuesday, April 20^th at 6pm EST. We will be discussing the eligibility criteria and how to apply for permanent residence through these programs.

Click here to register.