Under updated federal government instructions issued on July 31, foreign examiners must be senior academic or industry professionals with an established reputation in their field.

They must also provide an official invitation letter from the organisation that has asked them to serve as an examiner or evaluator.

The new guidelines cover three categories of work permit exemptions: thesis examiners, research proposal evaluators, and program or university project evaluators.

Conditions for exemption

The government has set out three standard conditions for foreign nationals seeking to work under the exemption.

The activity must last less than six months, and the foreign national cannot receive remuneration from a Canadian source for the work.

Immigration officers may also impose specific conditions or limits on the individual’s authorisation to work without a permit.

Officers may issue a visitor record specifying the conditions attached to the permit-exempt work authorisation.

Requirements for foreign examiners

Foreign nationals seeking entry under the exemption must provide documents demonstrating that they meet the eligibility criteria.

They must also satisfy Canada’s general requirements for visitors entering the country as temporary residents.

Depending on their nationality, this includes obtaining a valid temporary resident visa or electronic travel authorisation and meeting all admissibility requirements.

The exemption applies only when the activity does not amount to entering Canada’s labour market.

In most cases, any remuneration for the work must come entirely from organisations that have no financial ties to Canada.

The updated rules provide greater clarity for international academics and industry experts invited to Canada to assess theses, research proposals or academic programmes without taking up employment in the Canadian labour market.