Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues Canadian visas under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

TFWP is formed from four streams: high-skilled workers, low-skilled workers, the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and the Live-In Caregiver Program.

The TFWP is meant to assist Canadian employers offer jobs to foreign workers in response to labour market shortages.

Foreign workers need to have an approved job offer and a work permit before arriving in Canada under the TFWP.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) in coordination with IRCC verifies that any foreign worker should not get a job if any permanent resident of Canada or any Canadian citizen is available for that particular job. Canadian employers aiming to hire a foreign worker must obtain prior approval. Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is required for the same. Our team can assist you with all the documentation required for getting LMIA.

 

How to Apply for a Canadian Work Permit

Normally, there is a two step process for getting work permit in Canada. In majority of cases, applicant requires a job offer firstly and then they can apply for a Canadian work permit.

Step 1

In most of the cases, the initial step to obtain a work permit is to seek for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Traditionally, the employer in Canada needs to prove that no permanent residents of Canada or Canadian citizens are competent enough for the required position through locally available recruitment process.

Step 2

Once the positive LMIA is issued, the applicant on the basis of LMIA can apply for the Canadian work permit. Each work permit is specific to the employer, except a worker who has an open work permit. If the workers need to change their employers, they must get a new Work Permit before joining any other job in Canada. Work permits in Canada are limited to a particular duration.

We undertake complete process of Canadian Work Permit for both employers and foreign workers.

 

Work Permit Duration

All the work permits of Canada have an expiry date.  If you want to work in Canada forever or without any specific length then you should obtain permanent resident status.

There is a limit on the length of Work Permit in Canada which is enforced by the Canadian government along with the collective length of time that non-Canadians can work in Canada. The overall number of months that an individual can work in Canada — either worked continuously or with gaps between permits—is 48 months (4 years) in total.

Once the four years work period is completed, outside workers will have to exit from the country and be outside of Canada for at least 48 months (4 years) to be able to work in Canada again.

 

Open Work Permit Canada

Open work Permit is different from the regular work permit as it is not specific to an employer or a job. In general, the name of employer and job are specified on the Canadian Work Permits, as a result restrain the holder of work permit to only work for that particular employer only being in Canada. Open Work Permit authorize the holder to work for any Canadian employer, in almost any field.

If you have an open Work Permit you do not need to have a job offer from an employer or a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

We can apply Open Work Permits for following as per Canadian immigration regulations:

• according to the National Occupation Classification (NOC); Spouses or common-law partners of temporary foreign workers in a level 0, A or B occupation,
• The common-law partners or spouses of international students who are doing full-time course;
• International students who have recently completed the graduation from a post-secondary institution in Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

Students who have completed their post-secondary education can be granted a Post-Graduation Work Permit. This will help the foreign students to get work experience in Canada and be the part of employment network; provided you have finished your studies at a permitted Canadian post-secondary institution and in a permitted program. This Work Permits entitle foreign graduates to undertake the employment in Canada for any employer on paid basis.

Post-Graduation Work Permit is not specific to any employer that means it is an open work permit which provides the flexibility of employment without Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) verification. The holder of a Post-Graduation Work Permit can work in any province or territory of Canada; can work for any employer in any industry. The maximum duration for Post-Graduation Work Permit is three years and it depends on length of program. You don’t need to have a job offer to apply for this work permit.