A work permit is a document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that allows foreign nationals to work in Canada. It is important to note that a work permit is not a visa, and you cannot travel with your work permit alone. A work permit is a document that allows a foreign national to work in Canada for a specific period of time.
Closed Work Permit
In order to be eligible for a work permit, a foreign national must meet certain criteria. The criteria include having a valid job offer from a Canadian employer, having the necessary qualifications and experience for the job, and having a valid passport or travel document. Usually for this type of work permit, if you are not in Canada already, or if you are not holding other work permits or study permits currently, you will need to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the employer, before the work permit application. And this type of work permit is a Closed Work Permit, meaning that you must work for the employer who sponsored your LMIA.
Open Work Permit
In other cases, you must be an individual of a certain category – spouse of a Study Permit holder, spouse of a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen while applying for spousal sponsorship, or have graduated from an eligible post-secondary degree or diploma program. This type of work permit is called an Open Work Permit (OWP). The open work permit, as opposed to the closed work permit, allows you work for any employer of your choice within the validity of the permit.
Once the application is approved, the foreign national will receive a work permit. The work permit will specify the type of work the foreign national is allowed to do, the employer they are allowed to work for, and the length of time they are allowed to work in Canada.
Now I got the Work Permit, what’s next?
A work permit does not guarantee permanent residence in Canada. A foreign national must meet additional criteria to qualify for a permanent residency program in order to be eligible for permanent residence. However, it is significantly easier to obtain permanent residency having the relevant work experience in Canada, and having a work permit can be the first step in establishing a permanent resident ready Express Entry Profile or Provincial Nominee Program Profile. Having Canadian work experience also makes you eligible for the federal program – Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
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The content above is not intended to provide legal advice or opinions of any kind and may not be used for professional or commercial purposes. E&OE.
