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How to apply for Canadian Work Permit

In this post, we will be discussing the step by step method to apply for canadian work permit or get work permit in canada.

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A work permit in canada is the permission to take a job within Canada if you are from a foreign country. You usually need a work permit to work in Canada. By applying for a Canadian Work Permit, you could join the more than 180,000 foreign workers who come to work in Canada every year. In some cases, you can work without a permit or job offer in Canada.

How to Apply for a work permit in canada.

Typically, applying for a Canadian work permit involves two-step .  In most cases, applicants will first require a job offer before they can apply for a Canadian work permit.

Step 1

In the vast majority of cases, the first step towards obtaining a Canadian work permit is to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Usually, the Canadian employer must undertake domestic recruitment efforts and demonstrate that no Canadian permanent residents or citizens are qualified for the position at hand.

Step 2

After a positive LMIA has been issued, the applicant can apply for a Canadian work permit on that basis.

Work permits are employer specific, unless a worker has an open work permit.  If a worker wants to change employers, they must obtain a new Work Permit before performing another job in Canada.  Canadian work permits are also limited in duration.

 Canadian work permits Duration

All Canadian work permits have an expiry date.  The only way to work in Canada permanently, or for an unspecified length of time, is to acquire permanent resident status.

The Canadian government puts limits on the length of Canadian work permits as well as the accumulated length of time that non-Canadians can work in Canada. The total number of months individuals may work in Canada—whether worked consecutively or with gaps between permits—is 48, or four years total.

Once the maximum of four years work has been accumulated, foreign workers will have to leave Canada and remain outside of the country for at least 48 months (4 years) before being eligible to work in Canada again.

Canadian Open Work Permit

A Canadian Open Work Permit differs from a regular Canadian work permits in that it does not specify a particular job or employer. Generally, the job and employer are both indicated on Canadian Work Permits, thereby restricting the holder to those circumstances while in Canada. Canadian Open Work Permit allows its holder to work for any Canadian employer, in almost any capacity.

Canadian Open Work Permit do not require the applicant to have either an offer of employment or a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

As per Canadian immigration regulations, Canadian Open Work Permit may be applied for by:

  • Spouses or common-law partners of temporary foreign workers in a level 0, A or B occupation, according to the National Occupation Classification (NOC);

  • The spouses or common-law partners of foreign students engaged in full-time study;

  • International students who have recently graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution

How many years is work permit in Canada?

Canadian work permits are typically valid for a period of 1-2 years, with some exceptions. A visa officer will usually not issue a work permit in canada for longer than the validity of an applicant’s passport or past the validity indicated on the applicant’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Can I apply for Canada work permit without job offer?

You don’t have to have a job offer in order to apply to be a part of the Express Entry system. However, if that’s the case, you do have to register with Employment and Social Development Canada’s job bank so you can be connected to a Canadian employer.

How many times can I extend my work permit in Canada?

There is no limit on the number of times a permit can be extended, should the individual continue to meet the eligibility conditions. Professionals working under free trade agreements similar to NAFTA: Under these agreements, work permits are issued for one year. All permit extensions will also be for one year.

How many hours can I work on Canadian Open Work Permit?

In other words, on Canadian Open Work Permit you are permitted to work two jobs and 60+ hours per week, but you still need to work for 1 year to qualify, you won’t qualify after 6 months…

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