Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Foreign workers

If you’re outside Canada

Travel restrictions and exemptions for temporary workers

As a temporary worker, you’re exempt from travel restrictions if you’re coming for an essential (non-discretionary) purpose.

Certain people who can work without a permit may also be exempt from travel restrictions.

Essential (non-discretionary) travel for a temporary worker

Essential refers to travel for reasons that are non-discretionary and non-optional. The emergency orders under the Quarantine Act do not allow people to travel to Canada for optional or discretionary reasons, such as for tourism, recreation or entertainment.

As a worker, your travel is essential (non-discretionary) if you’re in either of these situations:

• You have a valid work permit and normally live in Canada.
  • This applies even if you’ve been laid off.
• You’re a worker who meets all of the following:
  • has a letter of introduction for a work permit (open or employer-specific)
  • has a valid job offer
  • can work once you enter Canada and complete your 14-day quarantine (unless you’re exempt)

Non-essential (discretionary) travel for a temporary worker

Your travel is non-essential (discretionary) if you’re in either of these situations:

• You have a letter of introduction for an employer-specific work permit but your employer has closed their business due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• You have a letter of introduction for an open work permit, but you don’t have a job contract and are planning to find a job once you arrive in Canada.

Work without a work permit

If you’re coming from the US to work without a work permit and you’re coming for an essential (non-discretionary) ^{Footnote 1} purpose, you’re exempt from the travel restrictions.

If you’re coming from a country other than the US to work without a work permit, then you’re exempt from the travel restrictions only if you belong to one of the following job categories:

• any person whose purpose is to deliver, maintain or repair medical equipment or devices
• air or marine crew members
• emergency service providers
• health-care students
• any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries
• technicians or specialists repairing or maintaining equipment
• commercial or research open-water aquaculture workers

Applying for a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA)

Even if you can work without a work permit, you may still need a visitor visa or eTA to enter Canada.

We’ve temporarily changed how to apply for a visitor visa or eTA to ensure that your application is processed.

How to apply for a visitor visa or eTA

When you travel to Canada

You need to show airline staff that you’re exempt from the travel restrictions. To do this, show the following documents to airline personnel when you’re boarding your flight:

• passport or travel document
• proof that you’re exempt from travel restrictions, such as
  • Emergency services providers: a letter of invitation from a relevant organization in Canada (government or non-government organization).
  • Health-care students: a letter of invitation from a relevant teaching institution.
  • Marine crew joining vessels: a joining letter from shipping agents.

If you haven’t applied for a work permit yet

Due to the impacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we can’t

• process applications normally
• provide accurate processing times

We’re prioritizing some applications, including

• Canadians trying to return to Canada
• vulnerable people
• people who perform or support essential services such as agriculture, agri-food and health-care-related occupations.

To keep processing applications from people who are exempt from the travel restrictions, we’re temporarily changing how you can apply to visit, work or study in Canada.

You must apply online when you apply for a

• work permit from outside Canada
• visa or eTA, if you need one and you’re eligible to work without a permit

If you're a Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program applicant, you can apply on paper if you can't apply online.

Most people can’t apply at a port of entry (POE)

You should only apply for a work permit at a Canadian port of entry during this time if you meet these 3 conditions:

• You’re entering Canada from the United States.
• You have a valid job offer and meet all other requirements to apply at a port of entry.
• You have a plan to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Canada.
  • Even if you travel from inside Canada (in other words, if you “flagpole”), you must quarantine for 14 days upon re-entry to Canada.

Completing your application

Office closures or service changes due to COVID-19 may affect how you complete some steps in the application process. Find out how COVID-19 has affected

• biometrics
• IRCC offices and visa application centres
• immigration medical exams

If you’ve been approved for a work permit

When you travel, show the following documents to show that you’re exempt from the travel restrictions:

• passport or travel document, and
• proof that you’re allowed to work in Canada, specifically
  • a valid work permit or
  • a port of entry letter of introduction that shows that you were approved for a work permit

Health requirements for travellers to Canada

If you’re already in Canada

If you’re already in Canada, in most cases, you must apply online to extend your work permit or get a new work permit.

If you can’t apply online because of a disability or because there is a problem with the online application, you can apply on paper.

If your work permit hasn’t expired

Most workers have 2 options:

1. If you want to continue working, you may be able to extend your work permit if you’re eligible.
2. If you’re no longer working, you can apply to change your status to visitor, as long as your work permit has not expired.
   • Find out how to extend your stay in Canada as a visitor:
     • For more information, see Guide 5551 – Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada – Online application.

If you change jobs or employers

If you have an employer-specific work permit and you want to change jobs or employers, you must apply for a new work permit from inside Canada. International Experience Canada (IEC) participants must first check that they can change employers with an IEC work permit.

However, you don’t need to wait until your work permit application is approved to start your new job or work for a new employer. You just need an email from IRCC that says you have permission to change jobs.

As always, open work permit holders can change employers at any time.

Who’s eligible:

• work permit holders
• workers who can work without a work permit (this does not include business visitors or short-term workers under the Global Skills Strategy)

How to apply

To change jobs or employers, follow these steps:

Step 1: Apply for your work permit

Apply for a new work permit from inside Canada.

Most people must apply online.

If you can’t apply online because of a disability or because there is a problem with the online application, you can apply on paper.

Step 2: Fill out the IRCC Web form

After you apply, fill out the IRCC Web form.

When you fill out the Your enquiry section, you must copy the text below that applies to your situation. Make sure you fill out the sections in square brackets, including the

• dates
• name(s) of employer(s)
• title of your job

If you applied on paper and don’t know your application number, include your courier tracking number. This will ensure we can find your application.

If you have other questions, you need to fill out a new IRCC Web form.

Message that work permit holders changing jobs or employers need to paste into the Web form

Priority Code PPCHANGEWORK2020: I am requesting consideration under the Temporary public policy to exempt foreign nationals in Canada from certain requirements when changing employment during the coronavirus pandemic and request that the applicable exemptions be granted until the decision is made on my work permit application or it is withdrawn.

I attest that: I hold/held a work permit valid until [date] for employer [name] / in occupation [job title] and I have received new job offer for [new employer name] / [new occupation job title].

I have submitted my application for a work permit online or I submitted my application by paper and the postal/courier tracking number is [number].

I intend to work for the [new employer name] / [new occupation job title] specified in the afore-mentioned work permit application.

I understand that providing false, misleading or incorrect information is a violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and may result in enforcement measures against me.

Message that workers who have been work permit exempt need to paste into the Web form

Priority Code PPCHANGEWORK2020: I am requesting consideration under the Temporary public policy to exempt foreign nationals in Canada from certain requirements when changing employment during the coronavirus pandemic and request that the applicable exemptions be granted until the decision is made on my work permit application or it is withdrawn.

I attest that: I am/was authorized to work without a work permit for employer [name] / in occupation [job title] until [date] and I have received a new job offer for [new employer name] / [new occupation job title].

I have submitted my application for a work permit online or I submitted my application by paper and the postal/ Courier tracking number is number.

I intend to work for the [new employer name] / [new occupation job title] specified in the afore-mentioned work permit.

I understand that providing false, misleading or incorrect information is a violation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and may result in enforcement measures against me.

Step 3: Wait for our email

Wait for us to send you an email. It will confirm that you can start your new job or work for your new employer while we process your application.

If you applied online for your work permit, the email should arrive in about 10 business days. If you applied on paper, it may take longer.

If you followed the instructions to apply for a work permit from outside Canada

Once you get your port of entry letter of introduction, you can request your work permit without leaving Canada.

If you’re a visitor who needs a work permit

We’re temporarily allowing visitors to apply online for a work permit from inside Canada.

If your status as a worker has expired

You may be able to restore your status.

If you’re trying to apply for a work permit online in one of the categories below, you may have problems getting the right result. If you’re not sure if this applies to you, ask your employer.

LMIA-exempt applicants

• Permanent residence applicants in Canada who
  • used Express Entry to submit their permanent residence application, and
  • have received an acknowledgment of receipt letter (A75)
• Open work permit pilot program for permanent residence applicants in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (A70)
• Foreign physicians coming to work in Quebec (C10)
• Refugee claimants (S61)
• Failed refugee claimants waiting for removal who need to support themselves (S62)
• Persons under an unenforceable removal order (S62)
• Live-in caregivers who have submitted their permanent residence application (A71)
• In-Canada applicants under the Home Child-Care Provider Pilot or the Home Support Worker Pilot (C90) and their family members (C91)
• Post-graduation work permit extension (C43)
• Destitute students (H81)
• Holders of a temporary resident permit that’s valid for a minimum of 6 months (H82)
• Start-up visa workers (A75)
• International experience Canada: extending your participation or changing conditions on your work permit (C21)

LMIA-required applicants

• Seafood-processing workers
• Non-seasonal agricultural worker program Guatemalan agricultural workers

Visitors to Canada

• Visitors in Canada applying for an initial study permit, work permit or both who are accompanying a spouse holding a low-skilled work permit

To apply on paper follow the paper application guide.

Updates and related links

• News release: Canada provides update on exemptions to travel restrictions
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update

Emergency service providers

As an emergency service provider, you’ll help out in an emergency. You’ll be in Canada to immediately help preserve life or property.

Health-care students

As a health-care student

• you’re doing clinical clerkships,
• the main goal of your work is training,
• you have written approval from the board that regulates your job (note that certain provinces do not need written approval), and
• your training will last less than 4 months.

If your training will last more than 4 months, or if you do not meet the other conditions listed above, you need a work permit. If you have a work permit, you’re still exempt from the travel restrictions, as long as you’re travelling for an essential purpose.

Any person whose purpose is to make medical deliveries

You’ll deliver cells, blood and blood products, tissues, organs or other body parts that are needed for patient care in Canada.

Technicians or specialists repairing or maintaining equipment

As a technician or specialist hired by a government, manufacturer or company, you’re exempt from the travel restrictions if you’ll inspect, repair or maintain equipment to support critical infrastructure:

• energy and utilities
• information and communication technologies
• finance
• health
• food
• water
• transportation
• safety
• government
• manufacturing

If you’re inspecting, repairing or maintaining equipment as part of an existing warranty or sales agreement, you’re a business visitor. You don’t need a work permit.

You need a work permit if you’re either

• repairing or maintaining equipment outside of a warranty
• installing new equipment

If you have a work permit, you’re still exempt from the travel restrictions, as long as you’re travelling for an essential purpose.

Commercial or research open-water aquaculture workers

If you’ll enter Canada and go directly to a foreign-owned open-water vessel to work,

• you don’t need a work permit
• you’re exempt from the travel restrictions

Your work may include

• fishing
• transporting fish to and from an aquaculture facility
• treating fish for pests or pathogens
• repairs
• bringing supplies to aquaculture-related vessels or aquaculture facilities
• exchange of crew

You may be a

• captain
• deckhand
• observer
• inspector
• scientist
• veterinarian
• any other person supporting commercial or research open-water aquaculture-related activity

If you’re working on a Canadian-owned vessel, you need a work permit.

If you have a work permit, you’re still exempt from the travel restrictions, as long as you’re travelling for an essential purpose.