Canada Work Visa
Work Permit
Work in Canada Obtain a work permit for Canada. Apply as a temporary worker, a student, with an open work permit, as a caregiver, and more. There are many paths to obtaining a Canadian work permit, such as a spousal open work permit or a post-graduate work permit. We recommend that you contact us if you believe that you may be eligible for a Canadian work permit. Once you have been working in Canada on a valid work permit, your chances of being eligible for permanent residency increase. Examples of paths to obtaining a Canadian work permit:
Immigrate Work temporarily Work temporarily (youth) Work while you study Temporary Foreign Workers Temporary foreign workers, may apply for permanent residence under these programs: Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) Caregiver Program Please contact us for more information.
Canada Work Visa
What Is a Canadian Work Permit?
A Canadian work permit is the permission to take a job within Canada if you are from a foreign country. You usually need a work permit to work in Canada. In some cases, you can work without a permit or job offer in Canada.
General Eligibility Requirements
No matter where you apply, you must:
prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires,
show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home,
obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate),
not be a danger to Canada’s security,
be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed,
not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions,
not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages, and
give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.
Global Skills Strategy applicants: You can only benefit from two-week application processing if you apply from outside of Canada.
Stages Guide
Stage 1: Employer applies for Labour Market Impact Assessment
Stage 2: Employer extends Temporary Job Offer
Stage 3: Foreign Worker applies for Work Permit
Stage 4: Work Permit is issued
Can You Turn a Canada Work Visa Into Permanent Residency?
“If you are currently working in Canada and you have applied for permanent residence, you may be eligible for a bridging open work permit if your work permit will expire in four months or less. This means you can keep working while we make a decision on your permanent resident application. To qualify, you must have applied under the:
Caring for Children Class, or
Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class.
You must also:
currently be in Canada,
have valid status on a work permit that is due to expire within four months,
select “Open Work Permit” as the type of work permit when you complete your work permit application, and
pay the work permit processing fee and the Open Work Permit Holder fee.
Close to 200,000 New Foreign Workers Immigrate to Canada Every Year!
Working in Canada is an attractive option for many skilled foreign workers from all over the world. Each year, close to 200,000 foreign skilled workers come to work in Canada on Temporary Canadian Work Permits. There is no reason why this cannot be you too!
In order to work in Canada on a temporary basis, foreign skilled workers must have a temporary offer of employment from a Canadian employer and be granted a Temporary Foreign Worker Permit by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada. If you or a family member are applying for a PR card, you can also apply via an ‘Open Work’ permit, and if you are American or Mexican, you can fast track the working visa process via the NAFTA agreement.
If you are looking for a job, certain positions in Canada may require a person to know their National Occupation Classification Code (NOC Code). This code is used to classify all types of employment by Canadian standards.
Applying Process for the Canadian Work Visa
There are four basic steps to getting a temporary Canadian Work Visa:
Employer applies for labour market opinion (if necessary)
Employer extends temporary job offer to foreign workers
Foreign skilled worker applies for work permit
Work permit is issued
Step 1: Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) formerly LMOs
Before applying for a temporary Canadian Work Visa, in most cases, you need to qualify for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIAs) previously called an LMO from Service Canada. A temporary tourist visa will not provide eligibility to work within Canada
What is the difference between LMOs and LMIAs?
The procedure involved in obtaining an LMIA is similar to LMOs, but there are significant differences.:
High Wage Positions
The application forms have changed from the old LMOs and are more extensive
Employers must complete a ‘transition plan’ that will explain how they intend to permanently fill the job being held by the temporary foreign worker;
Employers are required to keep more detailed records during the foreign worker’s stay in Canada;
Individual applications will be processed more quickly.
Foreign workers in skilled trades, high paid workers with salaries in the top 10% of Canadian earnings, and employees immigrating for 120 days or less will all receive LMIA decisions in 10 business days.
For Low-Wage LMIAs
The procedures and criteria involved for Low-Wage LMIAs are somewhat different than for High-Wage LMIAs. More restrictions are imposed on Low-Wage job offers than are high wage as follows:
Positive LMIAs for low-wage jobs will now allow employers to hire a foreign worker for only one year at a time.
For organizations with more than ten employees, low-wage foreign workers can make up no more than 10% of the workforce.
Transitional measures will apply to employers whose work forces do not comply with this rule.
Canadian companies in the accommodation and food service sector as well as the retail trade sector will no longer be allowed to apply for LMIAs for jobs in ten lower-skill occupations.
As with high-wage LMIA applications, Canadian companies must now qualify with a higher application fee, complete longer application forms, and keep detailed records about their recruitment practices.
Who does not need to apply for an LMIA?
As in the case of the old LMOs, Canadian employers can recruit some TFWs without an LMIA. The following are categories where temporary work permits are LMIA exempt:
Skilled Workers covered under the NAFTA agreement;
International Experience Canada participants (also known as Working Holiday Permit holders);
Post-Graduate temporary work permit holders;
Bridging Open Work Permit holders; and
Participants in private academic exchanges such as postdoctoral fellows and visiting professors.
Programs such as those above have now been reclassified as ‘International Mobility Programs.’
Also, beginning in summer 2015 employers hiring through some International Mobility Programs must have their job offers approved by a Canadian visa office before their hired employees can request a Canadian temporary work permit. The processing fee for the job offer approval application will be $230.
Step 2: Employer Extends Temporary Job Offer
The employer must send a copy of the positive LMIA along with a detailed ‘job offer letter’ to the foreign skilled worker.
Canadian companies are required by CIC to prepare a formal employment contract or what our industry refers to as the ‘Job Offer Letter,’ which must include:
Job title for the position
Job description
Requirements for the temporary position
Details about start and end dates
Specifics about the salary
The name and address of the employer
Canada Service Agency will ensure that the job offer is legit and real. Once the Canadian immigration department has confirmed the job offer with an LMIA, then the CIC will grant employment authorization for the company’s future employees to work in Canada. Once the LMIA is granted, the Canadian employer can extend a temporary job offer to the foreign skilled worker.
Step 3: Foreign Skilled Worker Applies For a Work Permit
Once you have your LMIA and ‘Job Offer Letter’ squared away, you then can apply for a Canadian Temporary Work Permit. If the employer that is hiring you is in the province of Quebec, then you may also need to obtain a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ)in order to work temporarily in Quebec. In some cases, when applying for a temporary foreign worker permit, you will be required to attend an interview with a visa officer. If the visa officer is satisfied that the foreign worker’s employment will not adversely affect employment in Canada for Canadians and that the foreign worker qualifies for the position, then a Canada Work Permit will be issued.
Note: In some cases, applicants from certain countries will be required to undergo medical examinations.
Step 4. Get Issued a Canadian Temporary Work Permit
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer will issue the Canadian Temporary Work Permit at the point of entry when the skilled foreign worker arrives in Canada. Depending on the foreign worker’s country of citizenship, a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) may also need to be obtained in order to enter Canada. There are a few more minor steps and processes to obtaining a work visa.
Note: If a certain position of your job is at the NOC 0 (managerial, executive) or NOC A (professional) level, you may be eligible for two-week application processing.
'Open Work Permits' for PR Applicants
As of December 15, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada announced that they would be allowing permanent resident applicants to obtain work permits while they are awaiting the finalization of their application. This will allow permanent resident applicants to now work while they are awaiting the answer on their application!
Applying for a Canada Work Permit by Occupation
There are many popular occupations for foreign workers looking to immigrate to Canada. Some of those occupations include IT Professionals, Live-In Caretaker Program, Managers, Chefs, etc.
Work Visas for Business and Corporations
If you are interested in sending your employees to Canada, you should look into applying for the Intra-Company Transfer ICT Canada Visa. Applying for an Intra-Company Transfer visa allows the company and employee to avoid applying for an LMIA since this is an LMIA-exempt work permit.
Book a consultation to discuss an Intra-Company Transfer.
Who is Eligible for the Bridging Work Permit?
What are the Requirements for the Work Permit?
In order to be eligible, you must fall into one of the above categories, and you must also meet the following criteria:
You are currently in Canada
You have a valid temporary Work Permit, and it is set to expire within four months.
You have received a positive decision on your permanent resident application under an economic class, Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, or the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
You have made an application for an Open Work Permit.
This ‘open work permit’ is a significant program in Canadian immigration and allows applicants to work during the processing of their PR applications.
Electronic Travel Authorization Form Required
Visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through Canada need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Exceptions include U.S. citizens and travelers with a valid Canadian visa. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA.
Important: If you are stateless or if you are traveling with a travel document issued to non-citizens, such as a foreign passport or a refugee travel document, you need to apply for a visa to visit or transit through Canada.
Canadian Working Visas for Skilled Americans
Are you a citizen of the USA who wants to work in Canada? If so, you can fast track your way to working in Canada via NAFTA. Americans are applying for a Canadian work permit in record numbers and, if applicable, you should take advantage of this opportunity! The Canadian economy is strong and is taking in many U.S. Citizens looking for work. The good news is that we have the NAFTA Agreement. NAFTA makes getting a Canada work visa for Americans and Mexicans much easier. What is required is a job offer from a Canadian company in a field listed in the NAFTA agreement, proof of qualifications including work experience and education, as well as citizenship.
Canadian Family Visas
There are alternative ways to make sure that family members that wish to be together can migrate together. Some family members such as spouses and/or dependent children can be included during the initial Canada work visa application for new immigrants to Canada. Other family members such as grandparents must be sponsored by Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Under the Express Entry program, dependent family members of the work visa applicant are also granted permanent residence in Canada. They can enjoy all the same rights to live, work, and study in the country. The Express Entry program helps connect family members of the recipients of Canadian work visas with the rest of country.