Ottawa- Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that foreign nationals can no longer apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) at the border, effective immediately. This measure will help reduce what is known as “flagpoling.” Flagpoling occurs when temporary residents of Canada bypass the normal wait times involved in applying for a work or study permit online by leaving the country and then immediately re-entering to receive same-day immigration services.
Flagpoling uses significant resources at the border, taking officers away from enforcement activities, causing delays for travellers and slowing down the movement of goods.
“The Government of Canada is taking measures to encourage applicants to apply in Canada rather than flagpole. We continue to improve processing times, and are moving toward a more integrated, modernized and centralized working environment to help speed up application processing globally.”says Minster Marc Miller.
The change announced today increases fairness amongst applicants and is another step that the Government of Canada is taking to reduce flagpoling. “We’ll continue to look for ways to reduce flagpoling so our shared border with the US runs smoothly and efficiently, benefitting both our nations.” Minister concluded.