Work in Canada: Do You Need a Canadian Work Permit?

A work permit is a legal document that allows foreign nationals to work in Canada and stay for a specific duration in a province. Every year, Canada issues about half a million work permits to invite professional or semi-professional workers and meet the labor force shortage.

Canada is a priority for many skilled workers since it offers an extended range of advantages compared to other countries. Working in Canada can be a stepping stone to achieving a high-paid job and growing your skills along with gaining international work experience.

• In some cases, you can work without a work permit or a job offer in Canada. In addition, LMIA is not needed if you are a citizen of LMIA-exempt countries.

All things considered, there are 2 main types of Canadian work permits as below:

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program: The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is designed to help those who want to work in Canada for a short time. The TFWP allows people to work in the country for up to 6 months, and you will be able to extend the duration of the TFWP in some cases. Remember that an LMIA is a necessary requirement of such a work permit.
• International Mobility Program: The International Mobility Program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals without the need to obtain an LMIA. Considering this, applying for a Canadian work permit is easier in the International Mobility Program than in the TFWP. To be more accurate, the International Mobility Program focuses on serving Canada’s broader economic and cultural interests and labor market needs.
• Trust Immigration Services has more than 10 years of experience in providing work visa, business visa, and entrepreneurship visa services. All documents are prepared and submitted under the direct supervision of Shervin Madani, who has 5 years of experience as an officer of the Canadian immigration department.
  • Get Expert Advice on Canadian Work Immigration

You can read more about different streams that lead you to obtain a Canadian work permit and work in Canada’s marketplace:

• LMIA Required: Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is issued when a Canadian employer can’t fill a job vacancy with Canadian workers. Typically, most jobs available for foreign nationals require an LMIA to prove there is no negative impact if an employer hires an international worker in a job position.
• LMIA Exempt: Fortunately, there are some types of work permits in Canada that are LMIA-exempt. For the best results, all employers have to check LMIA requirements for a specific work permit to know if it requires an LMIA or not. The exemption can be applied if an employer is unable to fill a job with Canadians or an applicant is applying under the self-employed program. You can read more on the LMIA-exempt work permits page.
• CUMSA: CUMSA, formerly known as NAFTA, doesn’t require a Canadian Labour Market Assessment, but workers and employers who want to use the program must comply with all other requirements and rules. This type of Canadian work permit is issued under the Canada-United-States-Mexico agreement, allowing professional and skilled workers to get a work permit in Canada and benefit from working in the country.
• Intra-Company Transfers: ICT is an immigration pathway that allows executives, senior managers, and workers with specialized knowledge to transfer to a Canadian branch of a parent company through a straightforward process. Work permits under this program are issued for a one-year duration, but they can be renewed.
• Business Visitors: A business visitor is someone who comes to Canada for international business activities without directly entering the labor market in Canada. Activities such as meeting people or attending international trade fairs are allowed for those who have Canadian business visitor visas.
• Post-Graduation Work Permits: PGWPs are open work permits provided for international students who graduate from a Canadian program of study and want to gain hands-on work experience in the country. Typically, PGWPs are valid for between 8 months to 3 years, and they are only issued to applicants who have graduated from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI).

Canada is one of the most popular destinations for international workers who seek to build great career opportunities for their future. The most important reason is that it is easy for skilled professionals and experienced workforce to find jobs in one of the Canadian provinces and change their temporary residence to Canada’s PR in less than 3 years.

Starting a new career in a foreign country can be somehow concerning, and it might be challenging in the first months. But, it is not true in Canada’s diverse environment that foreign nationals can enter its labor market if they have the minimum work experience and requirements. Apart from being able to work in a dynamic work environment, a foreign worker can access a wide range of benefits, from highly advanced university programs to unique opportunities to develop professional skills:

• Easy to find jobs
• Opportunities to bring your family members to Canada
• Free education for children
• Access to highly-advanced technologies
• Low unemployment rate
• Lack of skilled workers
• Training opportunities
• Affordable healthcare
• Low cost of living
• Cultural diversity
• Retirement benefits

Let’s take a look at the average annual salaries per industry in Canada:

Industry	Average Annual Salary
Software Developer	$77,000
Lawyer	$75,000
Business Analyst	$69,000
Secretary	$39,000
Civil Engineer	$66,000
Elementary School Teacher	$56,000
Electrical Engineer	$70,000
Nurse	$69,000
Medical Lab Technician	$47,000
Bus Driver	$44,000
Hotel Manager	$54,000

Trust Immigration Services Inc. provides you with all immigration services that assist you with the process from beginning to end. You can fill out the contact form today and schedule a time to speak to one of our immigration consultants or certified lawyers.

• We help you collect all the required documents and submit the complete application to obtain a Canadian work permit. Don’t fall behind; contact us to win the competition!

Many foreign nationals would like to come to Canada as skilled workers, but the thing is that finding a job could be a major concern. If you can not find the best job that matches your resume, problems arise.

Finding a job in Canada is not an easy process, and you have to consider a lot of factors to choose a job that helps you achieve your short-term and long-term goals. The most popular platform available for searching for jobs in Canada is Canada Job Bank, but you can use other online platforms to check different job vacancies in Canada. Update your resume, research, and use official platforms to find a good job position in Canada.

The process of finding a Canadian work permit varies depending on the work permit stream that you are applying for. International students can apply through the PGWP and get a work permit for up to 3 years. Skilled foreign workers can apply for LMIA-required job vacancies from outside Canada and come to Canada with temporary work permits. If you are an entrepreneur in your home country, there is an exclusive option that allows you to establish your own business in Canada. Canada’s entrepreneurship programs are the most popular pathways for business owners who want to bring their businesses to Canada. Canada’s entrepreneurship programs offer temporary work permits that can be turned into Canada’s PR after you start your business in the country. Note that using the Express Entry program is a proven method for obtaining a Canadian work permit and working in Canada. If you want to do the process through a straightforward roadmap, Express Entry has been designed for you. By creating an Express Entry profile, you can select a work permit stream and read the document checklist to start your application process.

According to IRCC, your family members must also apply to visit, work, or study in Canada to be able to come with you. They are allowed to submit their own visa applications at the same time as you. In addition, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible to apply for an open work permit. This will provide an opportunity for her/him to work for any employer after arriving in Canada. If your spouse, common-law partner, or children are not planning to work during your stay in Canada, there are 2 more options they can use to come with you to Canada.

1. Visitor visa
2. Student visa

It would help if you could check the necessary documents listed on the IRCC website before taking any steps for a Canadian work permit. Typically, the documents to obtain a work visa and work in Canada depend on the type of work permit and some specific conditions. Most of the time, applicants may need the following checklist of documents to submit a work permit application:

• Completed application form
• Proof of status in Canada and a valid passport
• Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), if applicable
• Written job offer, if applicable
• CV/resume
• Proof showing your skills, work experience, and other proficiencies
• Copy of your Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)
• Medical exam and police clearance documents
• Marriage certificate, if applicable
• Recent digital photos

Everyone who is interested in applying for a visitor visa, work permit, or Canadian PR must follow the biometrics instructions and submit biometrics information (fingerprints and a photo). Individuals who are submitting a work visa application outside Canada need to contact a Canada-authorized Visa Application Centre (VAC) and schedule a time for performing the biometrics process. You can explore this page to find the nearest VAC and do this step of the work visa process fastly. Applicants who have performed this process within the past 10 years don’t need to do it again. Biometrics fees are as follow, and applicants must pay the fees at the time of application submission on the official website:

Case	Biometrics fees – CAD
Biometrics – per person	$85
Biometrics – per family (2 or more people)	$170
Biometrics – per group (3 or more performing artists)	$255

The processing time varies from one stream to another, and it depends on the type of work permit that you are applying for. Also, the applicant’s country of residence can affect the application processing duration, so you need to be a little bit patient to obtain your work permit.

• In general, the processing time to obtain a Canadian work permit ranges anywhere between 4 weeks to several months. You can contact our immigration experts to evaluate your case and provide you with the exact information.

Do you have any questions about getting a Canadian work permit and working in Canada? Contact us today to offer you the most straightforward pathway that leads you to a Canadian work visa. Our certified and registered immigration lawyers will help you with your application process. We have over 10 years of expertise in assisting workers and skilled students in finding their dream jobs in Canada.