🇨🇦 Recent Major Updates to Canada Visitor Visas & Work Permits to Note

Let’s delve into the pivotal updates surrounding Canada’s open work permits and visitor visas. Staying abreast with the freshest shifts in these visa categories is of utmost importance.

If Canada’s on your travel radar or you’re exploring job opportunities under open work permits, this article is your compass.

We unpack the recent visa trends and processing times, arming you with indispensable tips and insights.

Heads Up

Our analysis draws from meticulous observation of processing patterns and timelines, sidestepping official statements from authorities or trending social media buzz.

As of October 2023, the processing times for Canadian Visas—including Study permits, Tourist visas, and Open work permits—have witnessed some fluctuations.




Historically, visa processes, inclusive of biometric verifications, spanned a mere 10 days. However, a palpable shift is evident with processing now stretching between 20 and 25 days.

And visa endorsements, which used to take just 10 days, now hover around 15 to 20 days.

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The underlying cause

A surge in diplomats’ visits to Canada has exerted additional pressure on the visa processing machinery. While there are occasional outliers receiving their visas within a week, the majority are nestled in the 20 to 25-day window.

But it’s not solely application volume causing the lag; enhanced verification, often outsourced to third-party agencies, is a contributing factor.

However, the silver lining remains: visa approvals are on an upward trajectory.

Visa Trajectory

The tide seems to be turning favorably for applicants. Many, even those missing a criterion or two, are securing visas albeit with certain conditions.

Hence, even with elongated processing times, the overarching sentiment remains optimistic.

The 20 to 25-day waiting period is still reasonable, especially juxtaposed against the delays at the pandemic’s zenith.

Recent dialogues between global leaders, including those from the UK and Canada, have sparked chatter, but the specifics remain under wraps.

Nonetheless, the holistic trend for visas seems promising. The current processing times, while extended, are a far cry from pandemic-era delays. A dose of patience can pave the way for your Canadian dreams.

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Canada Work Permit 2023: The Price Tag

Pondering the price tag of a Canadian work permit? While the cost is multifaceted, contingent upon individual circumstances and permit types, one thing’s clear: Neither a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) nor a Canadian work visa can be bought or traded in monetary terms.

Eligibility hinges on credentials—education, work expertise, job-specific prowess, and language proficiency in English or French.

Beware, a few rogue employers might proposition fees for facilitating work permits for foreign aspirants, a blatant transgression of Canadian immigration norms.

Before the pandemic clouded our world, such unscrupulous practices were more rampant. But COVID-19’s aftermath has seen tighter regulations around work permits, discouraging illicit employer behavior.

Recommended Reading:

• 🇨🇦 Canada Releases Enhanced Community Stream and Appealing Relocation Incentives for Immigrants
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• 🇨🇦 Massive Boost in the Canada Student Visa Programme: Everything You Should Understand About the ‘Trusted Institution’ Tag
• 🇨🇦 New Canada Visa Pathway 2023: Quebec Opens Doors to Skilled Workers in Key Sectors

Given the labor market upheavals and economic challenges, fewer businesses are resorting to charging foreigners for work permits.

Nonetheless, paying your way to a work permit remains both unethical and illegal in Canada. The right way? There are legitimate pathways like acquiring a study permit, which might not only let you study but work part-time in Canada.

Further, converting a study permit to permanent residency via the provincial nominee program or express entry system could be feasible if you meet the prerequisites.

In summation, always veer away from shady practices and embark on a legally sanctioned and ethical journey to Canada.

Solicit guidance from accredited immigration consultants or legal professionals to navigate the immigration maze seamlessly.