Work Visa

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Extend Your Work Permit

then you need to apply for extension or to make changes the conditions.

Employer-specific work permits

You need to apply to extend or change the conditions of your work permit if:

Open work permits

If you have an open work permit, you may be able to extend it as long as you’re eligible to work in Canada with an open work permit.

In the case of work permit expires

If your permit expires after you apply then you can stay in Canada until a decision is not made to your application. In this situation, you have implied status.

If your permit expired before you applied for a new work permit or study permit or visitor extension:

You may apply within 90 days with the restoration of your valid status.

Government fees:

Co-op Work Permit

Some study programs internship/co-op work experience as the part of the course. In this case student required to have co op work permit or intern work permit if:

Study permit is valid
work or experience is required to complete your study program in Canada
College/University letter that confirms all students in your program need to complete work placements to get their degree or complete their study.
Co-op or internship totals 50% or less of your study program

If student is enrol in English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL), general interest courses, or courses to prepare for another study program, then they are not eligible to apply for a co-op work permit.

Your applications may be processed more quickly.
It helps you make sure your application is complete before you submit it.
You can quickly submit more documents online (if we ask you to).
You get updates on the status of your application directly in your online account.

Travel and Work in Canada as a Youth

International Experience Canada

This category provides youth with the opportunity to travel and work in Canada.
Profile submission will stay in the pool until: the Invitation to Apply for a work permit has been not issued.
IEC pool issue invitations to candidates regularly during the IEC season.

You can submit an IEC profile at any time during the IEC season. As long as you submit your profile before the date of the last round of invitations for your country, you may receive an Invitation to Apply for a work permit.

1 IEC profile in multiple pools

You can only have 1 IEC profile at any time. However, you can be eligible for more than 1 IEC pool.

When you complete your profile, we’ll tell you which pools are available to you. You can submit your profile to any of these available pools. For example, you might be eligible to submit your profile to the Working Holiday and Young Professionals pools.

How we issue Invitations to Apply

Invitations to Apply are issued in the following order:

If your profile is in an International Co-op (Internship) pool and Working Holiday pool, you’ll receive an Invitation to Apply for an International Co-op category. You’ll only receive an Invitation to Apply for a Working Holiday work permit if there are no spots left in the International Co-op (Internship) category.

Country	Age Limit	Working Holiday	Young Professionals	International Co-op (Internship)
Australia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Belgium	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Chile	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Costa Rica	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Croatia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Czech Republic	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Denmark	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Estonia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
France	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Germany	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Greece	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hong Kong SAR	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Ireland	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Italy	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Japan	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Korea, Republic	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Latvia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lithuania	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Luxembourg	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mexico	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Netherlands	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	No
New Zealand	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Norway	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Poland	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Portugal	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
San Marino	18 to 35	Yes	No	No
Slovakia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Slovenia	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Spain	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sweden	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Switzerland	18 to 35	No	Yes	Yes
Taiwan	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ukraine	18 to 35	Yes	Yes	Yes
United Kingdom	18 to 35	Yes	No	No

If you’re in an IEC pool, you should start getting any supporting documents you may need for your work permit application. Some documents may take several months to get. You could get an Invitation to Apply at any time, and you’ll have limited time to submit your work permit application and documents.

Under this category, applicant dependents aren’t eligible to accompany, they may apply for visit, work or study separately.

Invitations to Apply are issued in the following order:

1. International Co-op (Internship)

Get valuable overseas work experience related to the field of study.

This category is specially for student registered at a post-secondary institution and having a job offer for a work placement or internship in Canada. The internship is the part of the study completion.

The International Co-op (Internship) category is an employer-specific work permit. (closed work permit) The internship you are offered in Canada must be directly linked to your field of studies.

2. Young Professionals

This category requires a job offer in Canada that contributes to your professional development. The purpose behind this is to gain Canadian professional work experience to better compete in a global economy.

The Young Professionals category is an employer-specific work permit (closed work permit)

3. Working Holiday

This category wont require to have job offer, applicant can work with more than one employer.

Working Holiday is an open work permit. An open work permit allows to work at most jobs in Canada.

What is an open work permit

An open work permit is like a special pass to work legally in Canada. Unlike most work permits, this one doesn’t restrict you to a specific company or job. With an open permit, you can choose which employer you want to work for and even switch between jobs if you find a better one. It’s great for people who are flexible and want to explore different work options in Canada. Just remember, it won’t allow you to work at certain places like massage parlors, and there might be other limitations depending on the situation.

Open work permit lies under the following categories:

An international student who graduated from a designated learning institution and are eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.
A student who’s no longer able to meet the costs of your studies (destitute student).
Have an employer-specific work permit and are being abused or at risk of being abused in relation to your job in Canada.
An applicant had applied for permanent residence in Canada.
Applicants are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence.
Applicants are the spouse or common-law partner of a skilled worker or international student or an applicant of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.
Applicant is a temporary resident permit holder or a young worker participating in special programs.

Benefits of an Open Work Permit

Open work permits are highly sought after for the freedom they give their holders. People really want open work permits because they give their users a lot of freedom. If a foreigner has an open work permit, they can work for any employer in Canada and can choose where they want to work. Most work permits are tied to a specific job. A lot of foreigners will be better able to get permanent residency in Canada if they work in Canada. As foreigners get more job experience in Canada, they can check to see if they are eligible for any of the following ways to become permanent residents:

Express Entry

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

Quebec Immigration

How long does it take to get a work permit?

Obtaining a work permit is a crucial step towards starting your new position abroad. The wait time for a work permit can vary quite a bit depending on several factors.

Here’s a breakdown to give you a better idea:

Country: Different countries have different processing times. It typically takes anywhere between a few weeks to several months.
Work permit type: There can be various types of work permits, each with its own processing timelines.
Your situation: Where you're applying from (outside the country or already there) can also affect processing speed. Some countries might prioritize applications from within their borders.
Completeness of your application: Make sure you submit all the required documents correctly. Incomplete applications can cause delays.

Here’s a helpful tip: Many countries publish information about work permit processing times online. You can find this information on the official government immigration website of the country you’re interested in working in. Search for something like “Canada immigration work permit processing time”. This will give you the most up-to-date wait times specific to your situation.

Can we extend open work permit in Canada?

Absolutely! Extending your open work permit in Canada is possible, but there are some key points. Firstly, ensure you still qualify for open work permit holder status in Canada. Secondly, submit your extension application at least 30 days before your current permit expires.

But there are some things to consider:

Eligibility: You must still be eligible to work in Canada with an open work permit. This typically means having a job offer or meeting specific program requirements.
Application Window: It’s crucial to apply to extend your permit at least 30 days before the current one expires.
Online Application: In most cases, you can apply to extend your work permit.

LMIA-exempt job offers – skilled immigrants (Express Entry)

In most cases, employers need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support job offers for Express Entry but some jobs do not need an LMIA.

Your employer doesn’t need an LMIA to support your job offer if:

For skilled trade jobs, up to 2 employers can make a job offer can applicant must work for both those employers.

Jobs exempt from the LMIA

Some job offers may be exempt from needing an LMIA for the applicant who has applied under Express Entry, in the case if current temporary job is LMIA-exempt, states a specific employer or employers (for skilled trade jobs, up to two employers can make a job offer), and is:

covered by an international agreement like CUSMA or GATS, and non-trade agreements. This can include professionals, traders and investors, or an agreement between Canada and a province or territory. This includes “significant investment” projects.

Exempt for “Canadian interests” reasons:

“significant benefit” – if employer can prove that employee will bring an important social, cultural, and/or economic benefit to Canada. This can include: general: Self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc.
workers transferred within a company (intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge) – only those that will benefit Canada with their skills and experience
workers under Mobilité francophone
reciprocal employment – lets foreign workers get jobs in Canada : general (such as professional coaches and athletes working for Canadian teams)
International Experience Canada – a work abroad program for youth and young professionals
people in exchange programs like professors and visiting lecturers

Designated by the Minister

Academics, including researchers, guest lecturers and visiting professors (sponsored through a recognized federal program)
Competitiveness and public policy
medical residents and fellows
post-doctoral fellows and people who have won academic awards from Canadian schools
Charity and religious work (not including volunteers)

In cases where an LMIA is required for a work permit, you can find more information about LMIA-based Work Permits here.

LMIA based Work Permit

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document which is basically confirmation letter for the job offer.

Employer in Canada may need to apply for LMIA with ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada) before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA document shows that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job, this document contains details about employer, employer business number, a contract term, business number, occupation details and employer information with LMIA document number.

Most employers need an LMIA before they hire a temporary foreign worker.

There are different type of LMIA application process which are depend on the type of program you’re hiring through.

Once the LMIA is approved, (positive LMIA). Foreign worker needs to apply work permit to come to Canada.

Work Permit for IT Workers

The Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a program that provides innovative firms in Canada with a faster way to hire highly skilled foreign talent when Canadians or permanent residents are not available.

The Global Talent Stream is designed to help innovative companies recruit the highly specialized and skilled global talent they need to expand by providing faster and more predictable application processing.

As part of LMIA application, employers using the Global Talent Stream are required to develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan.

The Global Talent Stream contributes to economic growth in Canada by ensuring that Canadians and permanent residents continue to have the first opportunity at available jobs, while ensuring Canadian businesses have the skilled workforce they need.

The Global Talent Stream is one of the pillars of the Global Skills Strategy, promoting global investment in Canada and supporting the Government of Canada’s Innovation Agenda.

The Global Talent Stream is available to two categories of employers:

Category A: Firms in Canada that are referred to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program’s Global Talent Stream by an Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) Designated Partner because they are innovative and can demonstrate a need to hire unique and specialized temporary foreign workers in order to scale-up and grow.
Category B: Firms in Canada that need to hire foreign workers for highly skilled in-demand occupations found on ESDC’s Global Talent Occupations List where there is insufficient domestic labour supply.

The new Global Talent Stream highlights the Government of Canada’s commitment to the Global Skills Strategy that the Minister of Finance announced in the 2016 Fall Economic Update and as part of the Government’s Innovation Agenda.

The Government is committed to building a better Canada so that everyone has the jobs, skills and learning to solve global challenges and strengthen communities.

For Inquiry

Work Visa

Extend Your Work Permit

Employer-specific work permits

Open work permits

In the case of work permit expires

If your permit expired before you applied for a new work permit or study permit or visitor extension:

Government fees:

Co-op Work Permit

Travel and Work in Canada as a Youth

International Experience Canada

1 IEC profile in multiple pools

How we issue Invitations to Apply

1. International Co-op (Internship)

2. Young Professionals

3. Working Holiday

What is an open work permit

Open work permit lies under the following categories:

Benefits of an Open Work Permit

Express Entry

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)

Quebec Immigration

How long does it take to get a work permit?

Can we extend open work permit in Canada?

LMIA-exempt job offers – skilled immigrants (Express Entry)

Jobs exempt from the LMIA

Exempt for “Canadian interests” reasons:

Designated by the Minister

LMIA based Work Permit

Work Permit for IT Workers

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