Work Permit

You can apply for a work permit from inside Canada if you meet any of the requirements below:

• have a valid study or work permit;
• your spouse, common-law partner, or parents have a valid study or work permit;
• you are eligible for a post-graduation work permit and your study permit is still valid;
• you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more;
• you are waiting on a decision on an application for permanent residence from inside Canada;
• you made a claim for refugee protection;
• you have been recognized as a convention refugee or protected person by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada;
• you are allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job (this does not apply to business visitors); or
• you are a trader, investor, intra-company transferee, or professional under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)

Regardless of where the application was made or which type of work permit was applied for, an applicant must:

• prove to an officer that they will leave Canada when the work permit expires;
• show enough money to take care of themselves and family during their stay in Canada and to return home;
• obey the law and have no record of criminal activity;
• be in good health and not be a danger to Canada's security;
• not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible”
• not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services, or erotic massages;
• give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove they can enter the country.

There are 2 major types of work permits in Canada; employer-specific work permit and open work permit. These work permits have further sub-types. Some work permits require a job offer, some require that the employer provide a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), while others require that the applicant has some connections to Canada e.g previous education, spousal sponsorship, dependents of a student etc.)

Work permits applications that require an LMIA are Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), Facilitated LMIA (Quebec), and Global Talent Stream.

These open work permits do not require a job offer or LMIA:

• International Experience Canada (IEC) (working holiday visa)
• Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)
• Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
• Spousal Sponsorship from Inside of Canada
• Spouse Accompanying International Student or Worker

While these work permits require a job offer but are LMIA exempted:

• International Mobility Program (IMP)
• NAFTA Work Permits
• CETA Work Permits
• Intra-Company Transfers

Now that you have determined the type of work permit that best suit your situation, the next step will be to get your application ready. is best for you. If you need help figuring out the application, all you need do is to contact us and a member of our team will take up your case.

Even though the types of documents you will need will depend on the type of work permit you are applying for, generally, applicants may need to provide the following documents to support their work permit application:

• Labour Market Impact Assessment (if applicable)
• Written offer of employment (if applicable)
• CV/resume
• Copy of education credential
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Certificat d'acceptation du Québec (CAQ) (if applicable)
• Recent passport-sized photos
• Proof that you meet the job requirements (previous employment letters, trade or skill certifications etc.)
• Proof of status in Canada (if applicable)
• Family member's proof of status (if applicable)
• Valid copy of International passport
• Medical exams (if applicable)
• Settlement funds
• Payment of applicable application fees
• Completed application forms

There are some documents that may not be required for a work permit application but might become necessary in order to get certain jobs. For instance an IELTS result. If an applicant applied for an open work permit which did not require a prior job offer before application approval, they might need to get their language assessed in order to qualify for certain job positions.