Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has confirmed the continuation of a temporary public policy that allows foreign nationals holding employer-specific work permits (commonly known as closed work permits) to change employers or occupations while awaiting approval of a new work permit. This policy was initially established in May 2020 to address labor market fluctuations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing necessary flexibility for many foreign workers.

Under this extended policy, eligible foreign workers can submit an application to IRCC to obtain special authorization. With this authorization, they can begin working for a new employer or in a new occupation before their new work permit is officially issued. This contrasts with the standard procedure, where closed work permit holders must strictly adhere to the employer and position specified on their permit and wait for a new permit to be approved before legally starting a new job.

To qualify for this policy exemption, applicants must meet several key conditions:

1. The applicant must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status (including maintained status).
2. The applicant must have already submitted an application for a new work permit or a work permit extension.
3. At the time of submitting their new work permit application, the applicant must have been authorized to work in Canada.
4. The applicant must intend to work for a new employer and/or in an occupation specified in a valid job offer.

Foreign nationals must actively apply for this public policy exemption and specifically request that the exemption apply to them until a final decision is made on their work permit application. Importantly, applicants must wait for explicit written confirmation from IRCC that their exemption request has been successful before starting work for the new employer. Typically, IRCC will issue this confirmation notice via email within 10 to 15 days.

The newly announced public policy will officially come into effect on May 27, 2025, at which point it will revoke and replace the original policy implemented since May 2020. Compared to the old policy, the most significant change is the removal of the exemption for submitting biometrics for new work permit applications. This means that, henceforth, when applying to change employers under this policy and submitting a new work permit application, applicants will be required to provide biometrics if requested.

IRCC has emphasized that this new policy will remain in effect until officially revoked by further notice. However, like all temporary public policies, it may be amended or revoked at any time without prior notice.

More detailed information on how to apply for this exemption is available on the IRCC official website or by referring to previous reports from CIC News (Canada Immigration Newsletter). The continuation of this policy undoubtedly provides crucial support and convenience for closed work permit holders seeking better career development opportunities in Canada or needing to change jobs for various reasons.