If you want to work in Canada, you will need a work visa for that country. A work visa of Canada is also known as a work permit in this North American country. Apply for a work permit if you have a job offer from a Canada-based employer.
Different work permit types
There are two types of work permits for Canada: an employer-specific work permit and open work permit. An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in the world’s second-largest country by area. Since this visa is not job-specific, applicants do not need either the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or an offer letter from an employer in Canada.
An open work permit allows you to work for any employer, except those not complying with labor requirements or offering services such as escorts, massaging, or exotic dancing.
As indicated in the name, the employer-specific work permit is a permit that allows you to work for a specific employer only.
Work permit eligibility requirements
Applicants for this must show proof to the officer that when their work permit expires, they will leave Canada, demonstrate that they have enough financial resources to take care of their family members and themselves, do not have any criminal record or warrant police clearance certificates, are not a security risk to Canada, are in good health by undergoing a medical examination, must not have plans to work for an employer who is listed as an “ineligible” on the employers’ list as they have failed to meet the criteria and provide the officials with any other documents to prove that they can work in that country.
Required documents:
The documents people wanting to work in Canada should provide: passports with validity for more than six months after their planned entry date into Canada, documents of their educational qualifications, marriage certificates, only if applicable, birth certificates of children, if applicable, and medical examination certificate-y to work in certain sectors.
Applicants may bring with them their spouse/partner and dependent children with documents to prove that they can be considered a family.
Entrepreneurs/self-employed individuals: This permit is granted to migrants who want to be self-employed or float their own companies who can prove that they can contribute to Canada’s economy.
Intracompany transferees (ICTs): Multinational companies can temporarily relocate their foreign employees to Canada without an LMIA.
Talented workers proficient in French: Overseas workers who can communicate in French and have a job offer from a province/territory (outside of Quebec) will not require an LMIA.
Besides, overseas workers of international youth exchange programs or international trade agreements are entitled to work permits without an LMIA.
Options for tech workers
Canada always has a shortage of technology workers. Technology workers have the skills and expertise, making it easier for them to qualify for federal or regional economic immigration programs. Certain immigration programs, like the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), are given explicitly to technology workers.
The other immigration programs of Canada are as follows:
- Federal programs
- CUSMA
- Global Talent Stream
- PNP
- Intra-Company Transfer
- Federal programs
Express Entry programs are granted to IT workers. The last few Express Entry annual reports list IT as one of the three most popular professions to whom an ITA is given.
Global Talent Stream (GTS)
GTS work permits are fast-tracked within two weeks of their applications for talented workers temporarily. There are two categories under the GTS.
Category A: Category A granted to businesses that promise high growth. These businesses must show that they require talented international workers. The Global Talent Stream refers to companies in this segment by a nominated referral associate. This governmental or quasi-governmental firm focuses on incubating or growing businesses in a specific region. These firms must specify why they need to hire unique overseas talent.
Category B: Category B is granted to employers wanting to hire talented overseas workers for professions placed on the Global Talent Occupations List to determine the in-demand skills that the available domestic labor supply cannot fill. Though this list keeps varying, it comprises, at present, workers that qualify for 12 National Occupation Classification (NOC) Codes, which are all technological professions.
Category A employers must showcase capabilities that they can create employment directly or indirectly for citizens and permanent residents of Canada. Category B employers are obligated to grow their professional training and development investments for citizens and permanent residents of Canada. For both, employers must pay employees wages that are equal to the Canadian average for the profession.
CUSMA
Under the new Canada-United-States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), citizens of the US or Mexico with job offers in certain occupations are eligible for a work permit. A special program for Canada-based employers, allowing them to hire migrant workers without an LMIA.
Under the CUSMA Professional work permit, there are 63 occupations, including computer programmers, systems analysts, graphic designers, and technical writers.
Need assistance to find a job in Canada? Talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Overseas Career Consultant.
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