Canada is actively seeking foreign workers and professionals to help grow its strong national workforce. Whether you are looking for permanent or temporary work in Canada, or even if you are a Canadian employer seeking to bring in skilled professionals from abroad, below you will find some valuable online resources to help accomplish your goals.

In most cases, in order to work in Canada, the foreign worker will need a work permit. However, there are a number of circumstances where you may be able to work in Canada without a work permit. In addition, there are number of other ways to work in Canada without undergoing the traditional work permit application process, including work permits granted for working holidays, post-graduate work permits or permits issued under the international trade agreements.

Work-in-Canada

There are two types of work permits:

Open Work Permit
  • An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada, except for an employer
    • who is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions or
    • who regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages
Employer-specific work permits
  • An employer-specific work permit allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which include:
    • the name of the employer you can work for
    • how long you can work
    • the location where you can work (if applicable)
Eligibility Requirements

General Eligibility Requirements

Find out if you’re eligible

No matter where you apply, 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.

Global Skills Strategy applicants: You can only benefit from two-week application processing if you apply from outside of Canada.

If you apply from outside Canada

Eligibility requirements if you apply from outside Canada

Anyone may apply for a work permit before they enter Canada. In some cases, you must apply to a visa office outside Canada. This is usually true if you need a visa to enter Canada or if you need to have a medical exam before you come here.

Find out what type of work permit you can apply for and if you can benefit from the Global Skills Strategy’s two-week application processing. If you are applying for an open work permit, leave the employer section of the application blank.

If you apply from inside Canada

Eligibility requirements if you apply from inside Canada

You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if you:

  • are currently in Canada and have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit,
  • have graduated from a program at a
    • Canadian university,
    • community college,
    • CÉGEP,
    • publicly funded trade/technical school, or
    • other eligible school.
  • have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more,
  • have applied or been included in an application for permanent residence from inside Canada (you will have to pass certain stages in the main application process to be eligible for a work permit),
  • have asked for refugee status in Canada and are waiting for a decision from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada,
  • have been recognized by the RPD as a convention refugee or protected person,
  • have had your refugee claim turned down by the RPD but you cannot be removed from Canada for reasons beyond your control, or
  • are allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job.

Find out what type of work permit you can apply for. If you are applying for an open work permit, leave the employer section of the application blank.

If you apply when you enter Canada at a port of entry (POE)

Eligibility requirements if you apply when you enter Canada at a port of entry (POE)

You can ask to be allowed to work in Canada when you enter Canada but only if:

  • you are from a visa-exempt country,
  • you already hold a valid medical certificate, if you need it for your job, or are from a designated country, and either
  • your employer has completed all of the steps for your type of work permit, or
  • you are applying for an open work permit.

If you’re a citizen of an eTA-required country, you’ll need to get an eTA if you plan to fly into Canada. To avoid additional costs, we recommend that you apply for your work permit before you travel to Canada.

Find out what type of work permit you can apply for. If you are applying for an open work permit, leave the employer section of the application blank.

Contact us and let Dr. Amro Hayek help you

With your application or determine your eligibility by filling out our Canada Assessment Form below, and we will get back to you with your Canada Immigration Assessment result

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for information only, and to give you general information and general understanding of how immigration processes work in Canada. The information provided on this page is not to provide specific legal advice. By using this website you understand that there is no immigration consultant client relationship between you and the website publisher/owner. The information on this website should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional immigration consultant in Canada. For detailed and up to date information and/or consultation, please contact us by clicking the button above; or log on to www.canada.ca