Working in Canada

Work

Canada’s temporary work permits

Many foreign nationals seeking career opportunities abroad find Canada to be an ideal destination. The reasons are many, which include a strong economy, the importance given to workplace safety, better wages, and opportunities for career growth. Further, working in Canada takes you one step closer to obtaining permanent residence in the country.

However, it is necessary to make sure that a person has proper authorization to work in Canada, as working without authorization in Canada will have serious consequences, especially when they apply for permanent residence in Canada in the future.

Finding a job in Canada

One way to obtain a Canada work permit is to find a job in Canada. There are many resources that help foreign workers who seek to obtain a job offer from a Canadian employer. However, one needs to prepare the resume and change their social media presence accordingly before sending job applications.

For certain positions, the applicant must know their National Occupation Classification Code (NOC Code). This is a code that is being used to classify all types of employment by Canadian standards.

Benefits of working in Canada

Those working in Canada enjoy a lot of benefits. Canadian labour laws make it mandatory for employers to ensure a high degree of safety for workers. Further, Canadian employers offer better wages, and they are bound by law to pay foreign worker wages equal to their native counterparts.
Some work permits allow the holder to bring their spouses and dependent children to Canada. Further, Canadian work experience increases the chances of a foreign worker to obtain permanent residence in Canada.

Canadian work experience adds value to permanent residence application under the following immigration programs:

• Express Entry
• Provincial Nominee Programs
• Quebec Immigration Programs
• Atlantic Immigration Pilot

Types of Canadian work permit

There are different types of work permits that allow foreign workers to come to and work in Canada. Some of these require the candidate to have obtained a job offer from Canadian employers and Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) done, while others demand the candidate to have some sort of connection to Canada in the form of work/education or spousal sponsorship. Below is a list of different types of Canada work permit:

Those who require a LMIA (Labour Market Impact Assessment)

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
• LMIA work permits (Employer specific work permits)
• Facilitated LMIA to work in Quebec
• Global Talent Stream

Those who do not require LMIA (These require a job offer or employment contract)

• International Mobility Program (IMP)
• LMIA-exempt work permits
• NAFTA work permits
• CETA work permits
• Intra-company transfers

Open Work Permits (That require neither a job offer nor LMIA)

• Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP)
• Spousal sponsorship from Inside of Canada
• International Experience Canada (IEC)
• Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
• Spouse accompanying an international student

Obtaining a Canada work permit

The process to obtain a Canada work permit varies depending on the type of work permit for which the person is applying. In the case of international students, they would be automatically issued a permit to work part-time along with their studies. Most of the closed work permits require the foreign worker to have obtained an official job offer from a Canadian employer with a positive LMIA. Even if an LMIA or work permit is not required, they need to be aware of the unique documentation that would be required to enter Canada.

Obtaining a work permit in Canada has two general pathways: a closed work permit and an open work permit. A foreign worker who holds a closed work permit can work only for one employer and at one location. They cannot change their work without changing their work permit.