How to get Work Permits in Canada

Find out how to get a work permit in Canada, whether you need one, and what the procedure would be.

Post Graduation Work Permit

One of the most popular schemes for students is the PGWPP. It allows graduates to work when they have completed study at an eligible Canadian institution. It also allows them to work while they are waiting for their application to be processed.

For this type of Canada work permit eligibility, an applicant must have completed a program of study that's a minimum of eight months long.

The government of Canada maintains a list of designated learning institutions so it’s possible to find out if a particular school is eligible under the program.


Global Talent Stream

For companies, the stream allows them to be able to hire foreign nationals more quickly. It was started to give companies access to highly-skilled global talent in order to increase their workforce in Canada and remain competitive globally.There are two categories that employers can use under the Global Talent Stream program.

Category A: Employers must have been directed to the Global Talent Stream by one of the GTS's recognised partners and be using the stream to hire unique and specialised workers.

Category B: For highly-skilled workers whose occupations are on the Global Talent Occupations List.


Bridging Open Work Permit

For those waiting on a response to their permanent residency application, the BOWP may be for them. This open work permit Canada started to let workers continue employment during the decision period. The applicant must be in Canada and have a work permit that’s still valid for another four months.

These are the classes of application eligible for the BOWP:

  • ⬤ Caring for Children Class
  • ⬤ Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class
  • ⬤ Canadian Experience Class
  • ⬤ Federal Skilled Trades Class
  • ⬤ Federal Skilled Worker Class
  • ⬤ Provincial Nominee Program

    • International Experience Canada

    The International Experience Canada work visa programme allows young people from over 30 places to work in Canada. To be eligible, the applicant’s home country must have an agreement with Canada that allows them to apply for an IEC work visa. Or, the applicant may be allowed to use a recognised organization (RO).

    With the exception of France, where a fourth category is also available, each country has between one and three categories. These are the Working Holiday, Young Professionals, and International Co-Op classifications.

    It’s possible to get either an open work permit: where the applicant is free to work for any eligible employer of their choice; or an employer-specific work permit, which are specific to a single company.

    International Mobility Program

    This program is a category of temporary work permit Canada offers. In short, it is for positions where there’s a benefit for Canada or a job that provides reciprocal benefits for Canadians.

    An employer can hire someone through this scheme without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment or LMIA.

    Companies/employers submit an offer for a job and then the worker applies for a work permit.

    The International Mobility Program (IMP) is open to workers:

  • ⬤ Who come to Canada under trade agreements such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) or the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) (see below).
  • ⬤ Who are coming to Canada with an open work permit.
  • ⬤ Who are intra-company transferees coming to Canada to work.

    • CETA

    CETA is the acronym for the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. It allows European citizens to come to Canada for work. Foreign workers covered by CETA may be able to work in Canada without an LMIA or even a work permit.

    The agreement outlines three categories of eligibility for work authorization in Canada an EU citizen may be eligible for:

  • ⬤ Business visitors
  • ⬤ WIntra-company transferees
  • ⬤ CETA investors

    • There is also a fourth category for contractual service suppliers and independent professionals. For this category there are specific requirements to fulfill. Namely, the worker must be a citizen of a member state of the European Union; must be engaged in the temporary provision of a service for no more than one year; and a National Occupation Classification (NOC) code must be included in the table of Canada's CETA Commitments for Contractual Service Suppliers and Independent Professionals to cover the service offered.

    Canada UK Continuity agreement

    The Canada UK Continuity agreement (CUKTCA) is similar to CETA, above, and was in fact modeled on the basics of CETA. The agreement, among other things, allows certain UK nationals to work in Canada after Brexit.

    As a result of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, British nationals seeking work in Canada will no longer be processed under CETA as of January 1, 2021.

    The CUKTCA is excluded from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process, just like the CETA. This means that positions can be filled through these agreements without initially being offered to Canadians.

    Intra-company transfers

    For workers who already work for an overseas company, an intra-company transfer may be an option. International companies can temporarily relocate qualified professionals to Canada under this work permit category to improve efficiency, increase Canadian exports, and improve competitiveness in international markets. Intra-company transferees who meet certain criteria do not need work permits and are not subject to the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

    For this type of work permit the requirements are:

  • ⬤ The employee has worked full-time for a foreign company for at least one year.
  • ⬤ They’ve held a position requiring specialist expertise, or a senior or managerial role.
  • ⬤ The employee has been offered a position with a foreign company's Canadian branch, affiliate, subsidiary or parent company.

    • USMCA

    Certain types of workers from the United States and Mexico may work in Canada without an LMIA. The USMCA stands for the United States Mexico Canada Agreement that governs this scheme.

    Workers from a wide range of occupations can work in Canada under the USMCA Professionals category. This category falls under the International Mobility Program.

    Other Work Permits in Canada