Work in Canada

Work in Canada

Types of Work Permits in Canada

  • A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is necessary for a foreign person to receive a work visa under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
  • An LMIA is not necessary for a foreign individual to get a work visa under the International Mobility Program.

The LMIA intends to help firms demonstrate to the Canadian government that hiring a foreign worker would not negatively impact the country’s existing workforce. The government department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) seeks to ensure that recruiting foreign employees does not displace current Canadian workers or put downward pay pressure on them. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program covers workers who require an LMIA (TFWP).

Although the LMIA procedure is the rule, free trade agreements such as the previous North American Free Trade Agreement, now known as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, or CUSMA, have resulted in a variety of LMIA-exempt work permits. Foreign employees can apply for a work permit without getting an LMIA under these free trade agreements. Working holidays, post-graduate work permits, and open spousal work permits are among the work permit alternatives accessible to foreign employees who do not yet have a job offer. Furthermore, the International Mobility Program covers workers who do not require an LMIA (IMP).

Obtain a work permit

Two federal ministries administer work permits in Canada.

Employers in Canada who want to hire a foreign worker must first get permission from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), known as a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). In most situations, Canadian companies must show that hiring a foreign worker would not negatively impact the Canadian labour market and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is currently available to fill the position. Thus, it is usually performed by posting the job opening in many places, and demonstrating that no appropriate Canadian candidate was found to fill the position. An LMIA is a comprehensive procedure that must be performed without mistakes since it is subject to significant government supervision.

After an LMIA is issued, you must apply for a work permit from IRCC. The work permit gives you legal work authorization in Canada for a specific time.

Do you require assistance with obtaining a work permit? CanApprove can assist you. CanApprove has over 23 years of experience helping employees and companies obtain work permits in Canada.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Work Visa enables you to work lawfully in a specific country for a set amount of time.

Before applying for a Work Visa, most nations demand that you have a work offer from that country. Your visa must be sponsored by the organization that has offered you the job. Before you apply for the job, you may be needed to obtain a valid Labor Market Test.

As a result, to obtain a Work Visa, you must first complete the visa’s eligibility conditions as set out by the individual nation.

Those looking to relocate outside of their home country see Canada as the best destination to live and work because of its open-door policy toward immigration. The good news is that qualified professionals are in high demand. The Canadian government encourages immigrants to come and live in the nation to address the issue.

To encourage migrants, Canada has developed a range of work visa alternatives. Canadian authorities provide two types of work licenses: open work permits and employer-specific work permits.

You can work for any employer if you have an OWP (Open Work Permit). Because this visa is not job-specific, candidates do not need to submit a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or a letter of employment from an organization that has paid the compliance fee.

As the names imply, an employer-specific work permit allows you to work for a particular employer.

  • An immigration official can give entry to the person. An international or national corporation outsources to other countries to hire professional workers issues a work visa.
  • A work permit is an employment letter provided by an employer to an employee to enter the nation, whereas a visa is a document required to enter into a particular country.

If your spouse or common-law partner meets the criteria requirements for an LMIA-required or LMIA-exempt work permit, they can apply. The Spousal Open Work Permit is offered to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.