Work permit for Canada can only be obtained if you have an offer of employment before applying duly approved from Service Canada (HRSDC). Canada seeks to attract temporary skilled workers to fill positions that Canadian employers are having difficulty to fill by a Permanent Resident or Canadian Citizen.

Work permit is issued on a temporary basis only and on the condition that you work for the specific employer sponsoring you. You can apply to change your Canada immigration status once in Canada, however, upon termination of employment, you will not be able to stay and work in Canada on your work visa.

To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents: 1)Job offer from a Canadian employer duly approved from Service Canada (HRSDC). 2)Completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. 3)Written confirmation from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion (LMO).

You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if: 1)You have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit 2)You have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job 3)You have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or 4)You are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.
You must also have the documents needed to apply from outside of Canada.
Please be aware that not all employment offers will be considered and HRSDC’s role is to confirm that your position will be of benefit to the Canadian Labour Market and of no threat to Canadian citizen’s and permanent resident’s employment opportunities. In summary, employers that need to address skill shortages in Canada may seek to employ a foreign national by extending them a job offer. If you have an offer of employment from a Canadian employer duly approved from Service Canada, you may be eligible to apply for a work permit. Please feel free to contact us for further information.

This visa enables you to gain permanent resident status, in which you are entitled to live and work in Canada without the need of an employment offer. Employers can still sponsor this application if they wish to increase your points total and speed up processing and is called skilled worker with approved arranged employment opinion (AEO). Some employers may also be able to sponsor your application under the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), depending on where they are situated and the nature of the position. This visa is also a permanent resident visa, but does restrict you to work in the province that sponsored your application until you become a Canadian citizen.