Good news for H-1B visa holders! This country has relaxed work permit rules, know the reason

H-1B Visa Work Permit Rules: Visa Canada exempted some foreign nationals from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations last year. However, the exemption applies only to those who meet certain eligibility conditions, including submitting a work permit application for a maximum of three years, having permanent residence in the US, and being an H-1B visa holder.

Exemption from work permit for H-1B visa holders in Canada

Initially, this policy was to expire on July 15, 2024, but was cut short after the limit of 10,000 applications from main applicants was met. The policy exempting some US H-1B visa holders from work permit requirements expired on July 17, 2023.

Eligibility for H-1B visa holders:

To be eligible for an open work permit in Canada, H-1B visa holders must meet the following criteria:

• Obtain a valid H-1B Specialty Occupation visa
• Must reside in the United States
• Receive a job offer from an employer in Canada and meet its requirements

However, Canada introduced two more policies that came into effect last year to provide further assistance to H-1B visa holders. According to Financial Express, the supplemental public policy that came into effect on September 27, 2023, provides the following rights:

1. Process Applications received in excess of the 10,000 limit will be considered if they are submitted after the expiry of the initial public policy on 17 July 2023, but before the online portal closes.
2. Process applications from family members who apply for a work permit after the expiration of the initial public policy and before September 28, 2024.
3. Minor children (aged 17 years or younger) of H-1B visa holders will be exempted from the $150 study permit processing fee if they are issued an H-1B open work permit upon arrival in Canada.

Meanwhile, the December 16, 2023 policy, which is set to expire on December 16, 2026, “aims to facilitate the renewal of work permits in Canada for foreign nationals who were previously issued a work permit for less than 3 years after facilitation under 2 H-1B public policies, so that they can benefit from the full 3-year maximum of this work permit category,” according to the outlet.