Types of Work Permits

Majority of people need a work permit to work in Canada. There are two types of work permits which include open work permits and employer-specific work permits. An open work permits allows applicants to work for any employer in Canada, except employers who are listed as ineligible and who offer erotic services. An employer-specific work permit allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which include the name of the employer you can work for, how long you can work and the location where you can work. There are specific requirements you need to meet depending on where you are when you apply for your work permit. But regardless of where you apply or which type of work permit you apply for, applicants must: prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires, obey the law and have no record of criminal activity, not be a danger to Canada’s security, be in good health and have a medical exam, not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions, not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages, and give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.

If an applicant is planning to apply from outside Canada, there may be visa office requirements that you need to meet depending on what country or territory you’re applying from. Also, individuals who are already in Canada may also apply for a work permit. The conditions for that is as followed: you have a valid study or work permit, your spouse, common-law partner or parents have a valid study or work permit, you’ve graduated from a program in Canada (university, community college, CEGEP, publicly funded trade/technical school), you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for at least six months, you’re waiting on a decision on an application for permanent residence from inside Canada, you made or will make a claim for refugee protection, you’ve been recognized as a convention refugee or protected person by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, you’re allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job, or you’re a trader, investor, intra-company transferee or professional under NAFTA.

To find adequate and knowledgeable services to help with any of your immigration needs, please contact my office at https://ialaw.ca/contact/.