Canada’s immigration department has clarified that the recent restriction limiting reciprocal‑employment work permits to foreign workers already employed abroad was issued in error and has been removed.
The erroneous guidance appeared in updated instructions posted on July 29 2026, which stated that a worker “must be currently employed by the company abroad” to qualify for a reciprocal‑employment permit under code c20. An IRCC official later confirmed the change resulted from a version‑control issue and does not reflect the department’s intended policy. A corrected version of the operational bulletin was published on August 6 2026, deleting the “current‑employee” requirement.
What is a reciprocal‑employment work permit (code c20)?
- Program: International Mobility Program (IMP)
- LMIA status: Exempt from Labour Market Impact Assessment, making processing faster than permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
- Purpose: Allows a Canadian employer to bring a foreign national to Canada when the hiring helps create or maintain comparable employment opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents abroad.
- Typical employers:
- Multinational corporations
- Internationally operating non‑profits
- Governmental organizations
Practical implications
- Employers no longer need to demonstrate that the foreign worker is already on the company’s payroll overseas.
- Applications can be submitted for workers whose employment will commence upon arrival in Canada, provided the broader reciprocal‑employment criteria are met.
- The correction restores the original, more flexible interpretation of code c20, aligning it with prior practice.
Caveats
- The bulletin correction does not alter other eligibility requirements for code c20 permits, such as the need to show a reciprocal benefit for Canadian workers abroad.
- As with all immigration programs, policy may be revised; applicants should consult the latest IRCC operational bulletins before filing.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
