Canada Extends Work Permits to Family Members of Foreign Workers of all Skill Levels

On December 2, 2022, IRCC released a news article that they will be allowing family members of foreign nationals who work in all skill types to apply for an open work permit to Canada. This change will begin on January 30, 2023.

Prior to his change, IRCC only allowed family members of foreign nationals who worked in high-skilled occupations to apply for an open work permit. This new temporary 2-year policy will allow the spouse or common-law partner and working-age dependent children to apply for open work permits to Canada. This applies to any skill level of the foreign national who already holds a Canada work permit.

This change will help Canada address its labour shortage and assist with family reunification. As many can expect, a foreign national who works alone in Canada may experience homesickness and decreased emotional well-being as a result of not being with their family. This new measure will help alleviate these issues and increase the labour force in Canada.

The temporary measure will be implemented in 3 phases:

Which foreign nationals are not eligible at this time?

We can expect an influx of open work permit holders to Canada as this measure takes effect and expands to lower skilled occupations. Many industries where Canada has a labour shortage are, in fact, semi-skilled and unskilled labour positions. Bringing family members of foreign nationals, regardless of skill level, to Canada will simultaneously address Canada's labour shortage and attend to the emotional well-being of foreign nationals in Canada.

If you have any questions about coming to Canada, feel free to book a consultation by clicking the image below or visit the IRCC website.