Immigration minister Sean Fraser said that temporarily extending work permits to family members of principal applicants in the temporary foreign worker program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP). This measure will help Canada combat chronic labour shortages
Under the new policy, eligibility for a work permit is extended to those who meet the following criteria:
- They are the spouse, common-law partner, or dependent child of a work permit holder who:
- works in a job of any Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category (0 to 5), or;
- is the principal applicant and has an open work permit (example: post-graduation work permit holders at all skill levels).
- They are the spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of an economic class permanent resident applicant who holds a work permit.
Spouses, common-law partners and dependents of workers in a TEER 4 or 5 job under the low-wage stream of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Agricultural Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are not eligible to apply at this time.
The measure will last for the next two years and includes working-age children, 16 and older, of principal applicants of all skill levels. This includes families of workers in healthcare, trades, and hospitality. It is estimated that this program will make it possible for the families of more than 200,000 foreign workers to enter Canada’s workforce.
