Thousands of foreign workers enter Canada each year to find temporary work in Canada. This in turn helps the Canadian government in filling up the shortage of local manpower. But before a person can work in Canada, he or she needs to apply first for a work permit at a Canadian Visa office abroad. A work permit allows an individual who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada to live and temporarily work in Canada. In some cases, a temporary resident visa may also be requested together with a work permit for them to be able to live and work in Canada though in some job vacancies or people who are in Canada for business reasons, a work permit is not required.
In applying for a permit to work in Canada, the applicant must submit the following requirements together with his or her work permit application.
- A job offer coming from a Canadian employer.
- An application, stating that you have complied with all the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
- A positive labour market opinion from the HRSDC or the Human Resources and Social Development Canada which states that the employer is financially and legally capable of hiring a foreign worker for the job vacancy.
In many situations, the employer is the one who should get a written confirmation from the HRSDC regarding the said job vacancy. But, in some cases, there are certain jobs that only require a work permit and not a labour market opinion for them to be able to work in Canada. People who fall under the following work categories only need a work permit to work in Canada.
- Professionals, traders, investors and businessmen working under certain international agreements.
- Entrepreneurs and company transferees who can provide Canadian residents with substantial amount of contribution by working in Canada.
- People taking part in exchange programs.
- Foreign students doing some co-op work as part of their study program.
- Spouses and common-law partners of foreign workers and foreign students who are studying or working under the Post-Graduate Work Permit Program.
- Spouses of foreign students who are currently not enrolled in full-time studies.