Ottawa closes a gateway to immigration exploited by "malicious actors"

Ottawa closes a gateway exploited by "malicious actors" for immigration

A scheme based on lies at customs has been uncovered. Photo: Jacques Grenier Archives Le Devoir

Jean-Louis Bordeleau Published and updated on August 29

The Canadian federal government has shut down a pathway exploited to obtain work permits using visitor visas. As of Wednesday, foreign nationals in Canada with a visitor visa are no longer able to apply for a work permit, a decision made to "preserve the integrity of the immigration system," according to Ottawa.

This option, introduced in 2020 during the pandemic to allow visitors stranded in Canada to apply from within the country, was initially intended to be temporary until 2025. However, it was misused, becoming an opportunity for abuse.

Ottawa abruptly ended this practice, stating that any application submitted by visitors after August 28, 2024, would be rejected. However, applications submitted before this date will still be processed.

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada) explained that this decision is aimed at combating the exploitation of this policy by "malicious actors" who promised migrants a work permit upon arrival. Once in Canada, these migrants were often abandoned and ended up working illegally.

Immigration consultant Anthony Chiasson-Leblanc stated that this scheme was well-known within immigration circles. Mexican nationals, followed by North Africans, allegedly used this method to enter Canada by lying to customs officials. Once in the country, visitors found themselves working without authorization, after paying large sums for a "prepared script" to deceive customs officers.

IRCC approved about 4,761 work permits under this policy, though not all cases were fraudulent. However, the risk of fraud was clear, according to Chiasson-Leblanc.

Some Canadian companies benefited from this immediately available workforce, making hiring easier without going through the lengthy immigration process. Immigrants ended up working for very low wages in hospitals or long-term care homes, as highlighted by an investigation by Le Devoir.

The closure of this loophole is seen as a "step in the right direction," but Chiasson-Leblanc emphasized the need to reduce work permit processing times to prevent further abuse and human tragedies.