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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.
Definition of Work
“Work” is defined in the Regulations as an activity for which wages are paid or commission is earned, or that competes directly with activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market.
Note: An activity which does not really ‘take away’ from opportunities for Canadians or permanent residents to gain employment or experience in the workplace is not “work” for the purposes of the definition.
Types of work permits
Most of the people visiting Canada need work permits to work in Canada.
Two types of work permits
An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada, except for an employer:
You can only get an open work permit in specific situations.
An employer-specific work permit allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which include:
Temporary workers
A work permit or authorization to work without a permit is required in order for a foreign national to be allowed to work in Canada under either of the following programs:
Permanent workers
If you are working with a Canadian employer on a temporary work permit and the employer has made you an offer for permanent employment, you may be eligible to apply for your permanent residency under the Federal Skilled Worker Program. Such an offer is referred to as arranged employment.
Moving from Temporary Worker to Permanent Resident under Express Entry
An important general eligibility requirement for a Canadian work permit is that the applicant must prove that he/she will leave Canada upon expiry of the work permit. This clearly shows that the work permit is a temporary permit designed to enable foreigners to live and work in Canada for a specific period of time. This is why employer-specific work permits must specify the start and end date of the job for which the foreign candidate is being hired.
Yet, temporary work experience can be very useful in obtaining Canadian permanent residence. But, merely having a work permit does not guarantee permanent residence under Express Entry. The first factor to consider is the eligibility requirements to enter the Express Entry pool.
The applicant must qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), or the Canadian Experience Class Program (CEC) under Express Entry. If, instead of Express Entry, the temporary worker wants to immigrate to Quebec, they must qualify for the Quebec Skilled Worker Program (QSW) or the Quebec Experience Class Program (PEQ). The requirements of each program vary, which means the work permit holder must assess his or her eligibility for each program separately.
The Express Entry Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) allots points for a wide range of factors. Canadian work experience can help the work permit holder score up to 70 points in the Core/Human Capital factor, and up to 100 points in the Skills Transferability factor when calculating points under the Express Entry CRS grid. A valid job offer can fetch up to 200 additional points.
Simply put, a work permit holder with valid work experience and a valid job offer under Express Entry may enjoy a 370 point advantage over other applicants, which translates into better chances of receiving an Invitation to Apply and, subsequently, becoming a permanent resident in Canada.
To qualify for permanent residence under FSW or CEC, the applicant must fulfill the following requirements with respect to work experience:
FSW & CEC:
Under Federal Skilled Worker, the one year of Canadian work experience is only valid if it is done within the past ten years of the application. In the case of Canadian Experience Class, this period is reduced to three years.
FST:
Under the Federal Skilled Trades program, work experience must fall under Major Group 72, 73, 82, 92 and Minor Group 632, 633 under skill type B of the NOC.
QSW & PEQ:
The Quebec Skilled Worker Program and Quebec Experience Class Program have the same requirements as FSW and CEC, with the exception that part-time work is not considered eligible.
For FSW, FST, and CEC, the job offer held by the applicant must fulfill the conditions detailed above or else it won’t be considered when determining eligibility. Further, the employer must obtain a positive Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the job offer unless you are holding a LMIA-approved work permit or an LMIA-exempt work permit for an eligible job.
Further, the duration of the job offered is for at least one year after the work permit holder obtains permanent residence. So, a job offer for a period of less than one year, such as a seasonal position or on a contract basis, or an offer for an ineligible job is not considered valid to apply for permanent residence.
A work permit, by virtue of its temporary nature, is often easier to obtain compared to permanent residence. While work experience and a valid job offer can offer a significant advantage when applying for permanent residence, the applicant must fulfill other requirements like language skills, adequacy of funds, and educational qualification.
While there are no educational requirements under CEC, the FSW requires an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) if the applicant does not have a secondary or post-secondary diploma or degree from a Canadian institution.
The Atlantic Provinces and Federal government are working together on immigration programs to meet your needs and the region’s needs. If you are an employer in the Atlantic region, you can hire skilled workers and international student graduates who want to permanently live in one of the Atlantic Provinces:
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is not needed for Atlantic Immigration Pilot programs.
Hire a caregiver through the Live-In Caregiver Program
The Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) is closed to new applicants. You can only hire a caregiver through the LCP if you have:
If this does not apply to you, you can still hire a foreign caregiver. You and the caregiver can decide if they will live in or out of your home. You will need to get a positive LMIA from Service Canada and the caregiver must apply for a regular work permit.
Hire international students
You can hire eligible students while they study or after they graduate.
Study permit holders may be eligible to work off campus without a work permit as soon as they begin their studies in Canada.
These students who are eligible may work for any eligible Canadian employer
To qualify, students must:
Students must make sure they meet these criteria and apply for a Social Insurance Number.
As an employer, you should make sure the student you hire has a valid study permit. You may want to ask the student for a letter of enrolment to confirm that they are studying full-time in an eligible program at a post-secondary school (or a vocational program at the secondary level in Quebec).
Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
Foreign students who have completed a program of at least eight months at an eligible Canadian school may apply for a Post-Graduation Work Permit. This permit lets them work for any eligible employer in Canada for up to three years, depending on the length of their study program.
Students with work experience may be eligible to apply for permanent residence through Express Entry.
Students, with or without work experience, may also be eligible for Provincial Nominee Programs.
Business people
Business people and business visitors are not the same.
Business people come to do business under a free trade agreement.
Business people can enter and work in Canada if they qualify under one of these agreements:
NAFTA lets citizens of Canada, the United States and Mexico gain quick entry into each other’s countries for temporary business or investment reasons.
These people do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This means that Canadian employers do not need to have a job offer approved by Employment and Social Development Canada to hire an American or a Mexican business person.
Under NAFTA, business people must meet the general rules for temporary entry to Canada.
There are four groups of business people under NAFTA:
Business visitors
A business visitor is someone who comes to Canada to take part in international business activities without being part of the Canadian labour market. Business visitors usually stay in Canada for a few days or a few weeks but are able to stay for up to six months. Business visitors do not need a work permit.
Professionals
To work in Canada as a professional, you must:
Intra-company transferee
This is a person who is sent to work for the same company in a different country. If this is your case, you must:
Traders and investors
To work in Canada as a trader or investor, you must:
Other free trade agreements (FTAs), such as
are modelled on NAFTA to make it easier for business people from one country to enter another country for a short time.
The rules are similar to those under NAFTA and cover business people such as:
Learn more about rules for business people under other free trade agreements.
Under GATS, Canada agreed to make it easier for foreign business people to access the Canadian services market. This applies to service providers from more than 140 World Trade Organization member countries.
Three groups of business people are covered:
Qualified business people can enter Canada more easily because they do not need an LMIA from the Government of Canada or, in the case of business visitors, a work permit.
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Disclaimer: VisaAffix Services L.L.C. provides consultancy services to clients for temporary as well as permanent residency visa-related matters and deals with documentations and filing applications. It is neither a legal firm nor does it provide any kind of legal advice/assistance or suggestions to its clients/users/visitors. The information presented on our website should be used for reference purposes only and not as a substitute for any professional advice.