Planning to move to Canada? Want to know how to get a work permit to Canada?
Canada is known to be one of the best countries in the world to work and live in. The country is famous for its excellent quality of life, economic stability, the influence of various cultures, entrepreneurship, and overall sustainability making it one of the topmost countries in the world for international workers and business people.
Read: What Is The Cost Of Living In Canada?
A Step By Step Guide To Getting Work Permit To Canada
On average there are over 180,000 international workers who move to Canada every single year. Foreign nationals who intend to move to Canada based on employment need to apply for a work permit. A few exceptions are made by the Canadian Immigration Services and unless you fall into those categories a work permit is mandatory for a foreigner to work in this country.
Except in certain specific cases, all the applicants must have received a job offer in Canada to apply for a work permit. There are two major steps in getting a work permit to this country.
Step 1
The first step to get a work permit to Canada is as follows:
- Apply for an LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment)
- You need to apply it at the ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada)
The employer in Canada must already have made efforts for recruiting domestically and failed. The employer needs to convince the authorities that no Canadian citizens/ residents qualify for the particular position.
Step 2
The next step is to apply for a work permit in Canada.
- You can apply for a work permit after receiving a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment.
- Employer specific work permits are issued in most cases
- Certain workers are issued an open work permit (Depending on their particular case)
- You need to apply for a new work permit in case you intend to change your employer
- The duration of the work permits to Canada are limited
Read: 6 Easy Ways to Migrate to Canada
Duration Of Canadian Work Permits
Unless you have a permanent resident status you are not allowed to work in Canada for unspecified durations. Foreign nationals who intend to be employed in Canada require a work permit. These work permits are issued for a specific period. You need to renew your permit before the date expires.
There is a certain limit set by the Canadian government when it comes to the duration of the work permits issued to international workers. The total period that a non-Canadian can work in this country also has an expiration date.
- The maximum time that a foreigner may work in Canada is for four years or 48 months in total
- The time limit is the same whether you’ve been working continually or you’ve had gaps between each work permit
- The international workers have to leave the country once they’ve reached this time limit
- They must remain outside Canada for a minimum of 4 years to be eligible to work in this country again
Read: Canada Skilled Worker – How to Migrate to Canada as One?
Qualifying For A Canada Work Permit Exemption
Foreign nationals who wish to take up a job in Canada will qualify for a work permit exemption if they belong to any one of the following sections.
- Members of a sports team and athletes
- Foreign national representatives and the members of their family
- Media crew and news reporters
- Evaluators and examiners
- Public speakers and art performers
- Organizers of a conference/convention
- Referees/judges and related officials
- Clergy
- Investigators
- Eyewitnesses
- Visitors on a business and related affairs
- Foreign government officials
- Transportation crew
- Students of health care
- Inspector for civil aviation
- Inspector for aviation incidents/accidents
- Implied status holders
- Campus placement employers
- Military personnel
Read: In-Demand Jobs For Immigrants In Canada
Open Work Permits To Canada
A foreigner can apply for an open work permit to Canada in the following situations.
- You are a common-law partner/ spouse of an international student who is doing a full-time course in Canada
- You are an international student who’s just graduated from college/university (Post-secondary institution) in Canada
- You are a partner/spouse of a temporary international worker in Canada
- According to the NOC (National Occupation Classification), the temporary worker must be doing a level 0, A, or B occupation in Canada
An open work permit to Canada differs from a regular work permit in several ways.
- No particular employer or job is specified in the permit
- You are permitted to work for any Canadian employer and you can choose any field
- You do not require a positive LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment) to apply
- A legal employment offer letter is also not required to get this permit
A regular work permit contains the details of the employer as well as the specific job on it. The permit holder is restricted from taking up no other employees other than what’s mentioned in the work permit.
Canada is the 14th biggest economy in the world making it one of the richest among all the other nations. This country has a very low rate of unemployment, a good healthcare system, and good pension schemes.
This multi-cultural nation has always been welcoming to international workers and migrants and is one of the most peaceful nations to live in. No wonder Canada remains one of the top choices among international workers and students to migrate to.
Also See
- The 10 Best Part-Time Jobs In Canada For Students
- Bringing Family To Canada When You’re A Student – Everything You Must Know
