Canada is extending Work Permits to family members of some foreign workers in the new year, to address labour shortage.

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC), Sean Fraser, and the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault, announced a new temporary work permit policy for 2 years in December 2nd.

Starting in January 2023, spouses and working-age children of work permit holders working at any skill levels (TEER 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) will be eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit.

This measure aims to keep families together in order to improve the emotional well-being, physical health, and financial stability of workers. This is believed to result in a better integration into their overall work environment and community.

Previously, only spouses were eligible for a Work Permit if the primary applicant was working in a high-skill occupation, that means a job coming under TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

The new 2-Year Public Policy has 3 phases:

Phase 1 will enable family members of workers coming to Canada by applying for an Open Work Permit through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP)

Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low- wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), following consultations.

Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess the operational feasibility of expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.

As the government of Canada continues to address the labour shortage, IRCC believes that Immigration will continue to play an essential role in helping the economy for this cause.

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