Canada Closes Door on Work Permit Applications at US–Canada Border

Foreign nationals will no longer be permitted to apply for a work permit at the border, Canada’s minister of immigration has announced. Marc Miller said that the decision to eliminate border applications for post-graduation work permits (PGWP) would reduce “flagpoling,” which is how temporary residents bypass visa wait times. These individuals have previously been able to leave the country and re-enter on the same day, applying for the permit at the border crossing. “While we continue to support and recognize the contributions of international graduates to Canada’s labour market, ‘flagpoling’ is unnecessary,” Mr. Miller said in a June 21 statement. “The time and effort required to process applications from ‘flagpolers’ takes officers on both sides of the border away from their crucial role in protecting the safety, security and prosperity of Canadians and Americans.”...