Canada Releases Guidelines for Foreigners To Stay Legally in the Country
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released comprehensive legal requirements for foreign nationals seeking to live and work in Canada
- Foreign nationals caught working without authorisation face immediate deportation, a fraud record, and a five-year ban from re-entering Canada
- International students risk losing their legal status if they exceed working hours permitted under their study permits
Ghana’s top stories, now easier to find. Discover our new search feature!
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has published a detailed breakdown of the legal obligations that foreign nationals must meet to maintain valid work authorisation in the country.
The federal agency made clear that holding a standard visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) does not grant any right to work in Canada.
Source: Getty Images
Individuals found working without explicit authorisation face immediate removal from the country, a permanent fraud record with IRCC, and a five-year prohibition on re-entering Canada. Such violations also substantially damage future applications for permanent residence.
Requirements for temporary workers in Canada
For temporary foreign workers, the guidelines identify a valid work permit as the foundation of legal status.
Foreign workers in Canada must submit applications to renew their permits at least 30 days before expiry to preserve what IRCC calls "maintained status," which allows them to continue working lawfully while their renewal is being assessed.
However, maintained status comes with a key restriction: any worker who departs Canada while under this status immediately forfeits their authorisation to work upon return and must wait for full approval before resuming employment.
Work permits also carry strict conditions specifying the type of work permitted, the authorised employer, and the geographic region where the holder may operate. Any deviation from these conditions constitutes a breach of immigration law.
IRCC also flagged a rise in employment fraud targeting prospective workers. Common warning signs include individuals on social media demanding upfront payments in exchange for guaranteed job offers, or employers offering accommodation in lieu of legal wages rather than a proper salary.
Rules governing international students in Canada
International students in Canada operate under a separate set of legally regulated pathways.
A study permit must explicitly authorise on-campus or off-campus work before a student can legally take up employment.
Exceeding federally mandated working hours is treated as a permit violation and can result in status revocation and expulsion from Canada.
Graduates seeking to remain in the workforce after completing their studies must apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
Those awaiting a decision on their PGWP application may work full-time during that period, provided their study permit was valid at the time of submission and they never exceeded student hourly limits during their studies.
Worker protections under Canadian law
The guidelines also outlined legal protections available to temporary foreign workers regardless of their permit category.
Canadian provincial and federal law requires employers to provide a signed employment agreement setting out the worker's duties, wages, and weekly hours.
Critically, IRCC confirmed that employers are prohibited from confiscating a worker's passport or work permit.
Foreign workers retain the legal right to contact employment standards offices over concerns about pay or workplace safety without requiring employer consent, and they cannot face punishment or deportation for doing so.
Canada seeks carpenters, plumbers and others
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Canada's immigration authority announced that the country was seeking skilled tradespeople from Ghana and across the world.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) urged qualified tradespeople with the right training, credentials and experience to explore the country's available immigration pathways.
Source: YEN.com.gh
