International Mobility Program: Authorization to work without a work permit - Examiners and evaluators

In these instructions, “officers” refers to employees of both IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Officers should review the instructions on this page in conjunction with:

• General information: Work without a permit – International Mobility Program

In the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), status and authorization are not linked as was the case in the previous Immigration Act (1976). Under the IRPA, all foreign nationals authorized to enter Canada as per subsection A22(1) have temporary resident status. A temporary resident may also be authorized to work in Canada without a work permit [R186] or be issued a work permit [R200 or R201].

Paragraph R186(n) allows eminent individuals who direct the studies and review the work done by university students who are under their tutelage to, on occasion, enter Canada to review their students’ theses and papers. Paragraph R186(n) also includes foreign professors and researchers seeking entry to evaluate academic university programs or research proposals (including the evaluation of proposals from organizations such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada [NSERC]).

Eligibility

To be eligible to work without a permit under paragraph R186(n), a foreign national must:

• be a senior academic or industry professional with an established reputation in the relevant field (many institutions expect that the individual must hold a doctorate or equivalent degree in their area of expertise)
• have a tenure whose duration is for less than 6 months
• provide an official invitation letter from the governing body that has invited them to adjudicate
  • there cannot be a salary for this appointment, however, reimbursement may be made for travel and/or living expenses.

Thesis examiners

These individuals are experts from outside the university who assess the scholarly quality and originality of doctoral or master’s theses to ensure they meet field-specific standards.

Research proposal evaluators

These individuals judge the validity of proposed research in grant or academic settings such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Program/University project evaluators

These individuals evaluate the effectiveness of academic curricula, educational programs, or research projects, often focusing on learning outcomes, resource allocation, and accreditation requirements.

Imposing conditions when work permit exempt

Although there is no work permit issued to those who are authorized to work under section R186, mandatory conditions are still automatically imposed by law under section R183 . The conditions specified in paragraph R185(b)may still be imposed by officers.

To ensure the foreign national is aware of the mandatory conditions imposed on them or to impose conditions under section R185, an officer may issue a visitor record (VR) with the conditions listed.

For more information on what conditions may be imposed on the VR please see Visitor record: Officer-decided conditions.