Working in Canada is an excellent opportunity to participate in one of the world's leading economies. Even if you don't have an interest in applying for permanent residency in Canada, you can acquire a Canadian Work Permit for temporary work in the country. But what requirements do you have to meet to be eligible for this visa? Here, our Ottawa and Orleans immigration physicians explain.
What is a Canadian Work Permit?
Work permits are the legal means through which someone who isn't a Canadian citizen can legally perform temporary stints of work in the country.
These work permits are administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and, depending on the specific case, there are two kinds of Canadian Work Permits a given person can achieve:
Employer-Specific Work Permits
Employer-specific work permits are the most common of the two kinds of work permits in Canada. This work visa allows someone to work in the country according to the stipulations set out in the permit, including:
- What business will employ you
- How long they will employ you for
- the location where you are able to work (is this is applicable)
To be eligible for an Employer-specific work permit, you must have received a job offer from a business or organization in Canada that will be able to provide you with all the information you will need for your own application.
Your future Canadian employer has two options when it comes to hiring a worker from outside Canada: with or without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. They must either prove that you are able to offer an economic benefit for their company that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident can, or hire through the International Mobility Program.
In both cases, your future employer will have to take steps on their end to provide you with information and confirmation of an offer of employment in order to start your application process.
Open Work Permits
An open work permit in Canada qualifies you to work for any employer in the country. This open-ended permit is available in specific circumstances, including if you are:
- an international student who has graduated from a designated learning institution
- a destitute student
- a holder of an employer-specific work permit but are being abused in relation to your job
- an applicant for permanent residency in Canada
- a dependant family member of someone who has applies for permanent residency
In all situations where someone is eligible for an open work permit in Canada, they must also meet additional criteria beyond their situation in order to be considered.
What Do I Need To Be Eligible For a Work Permit?
While there are some general requirements for eligibility for both kinds of work permit, the specific information you will have to produce as well as the eligibility requirements will often depend on the particular job you intend to work in Canada. Here is a list of a few more of the standard requirements for eligibility. To be eligible for a work permit in Canada, you must:
- prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires;
- show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home;
- obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate);
not be a danger to Canada’s security; - be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed;
- not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions;
- not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages; and
- give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.
It's important to check the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website before taking any action towards your work permit to fully understand what information you need to provide (and whether you even need a work permit for very short-term stints in the country).
