Are you a skilled worker outside Canada? Interested in honing your skills and improving your knowledge? You may be eligible to come to Canada as a Worker. Most people need a work permit to work in Canada. If you’re not sure if you need one, contact us to assess if you need a work permit. There are 2 types of work permits: open work permits and employer-specific work permits.

An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada, except for an ineligible employer. You can only get an open work permit in specific situations.

You may be eligible for an Open Work Permit if you:

• are an international student who graduated from a designated learning institution and are eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program.
• are a student who is no longer able to meet the costs of your studies (destitute student)
• have an employer-specific work permit and are being abused or at risk of being abused in relation to your job in Canada
• applied for permanent residence in Canada
• are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence
• are the spouse or common-law partner of a skilled worker or international student
• are the spouse or common-law partner of an applicant of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
• are a refugee, refugee claimant, protected person or their family member
• are under an unenforceable removal order
• are a temporary resident permit holder

Contact us to find out if you are eligible to apply for an open work permit.

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
• the location where you can work (if applicable)

In most cases your employer needs to apply for Labour Market Impact Assessment to Employment and Social Development Canada or pay the employer compliance fee, if your job offer is LMIA exempt. Checkout our section on LMIA for more details.