Ample employment opportunities in Canada call you to apply for a work permit in the country. People from remote nationalities consider Canada as their top choice for work. The strong economy, high workplace safety, competitive earnings, and ample opportunities for professional growth and advancement await here. Canada holds the top position in terms of quality of life, offering an outstanding work environment characterized by competitive incomes, comprehensive social security benefits, a transparent public finance system, and low unemployment rates.
Furthermore, working in Canada is a step closer to permanent immigration to the country. The easiest way to do so is to get a work permit through the post-graduate work permit, LMIA, temporary foreign worker programs, etc.
To qualify for a work visa to work in Canada, it is crucial for an individual to secure all the required approvals to prevent potential delays in future immigration applications. Explore various options for relocating to Canada as a temporary or permanent worker, along with the process of applying for a work permit, in the following sections.
Duration Of The Work Permit
Each work permit issued in Canada comes with an expiration date. Securing Permanent Residency (PR) status is the most effective way to continue working in Canada indefinitely.
The Canadian government imposes restrictions on the duration non-Canadians can work in the country, allowing them to accrue time credits.
The maximum allowable period for working in Canada is 48 months, or a total of four years, regardless of whether the work is continuous or involves intervals between permits.
If the foreign national meets the criteria set by the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the work visa is typically valid for two years.
A postgraduate work visa, depending on the duration of the study program, may range from 8 months to three years.
For an Open Spouse Work Permit, the validity period aligns with the duration of your spouse’s work permit.
Under the Live-in Caregiver Program, individuals holding a work permit in Canada must leave the country once they have reached the four-year work limit, as the maximum validity period for work is set at four years.
About Open Work Permit Canada
An open work permit in Canada distinguishes itself from a regular work permit by not specifying a particular job or employer. Traditional Canadian work permits typically outline specific roles and employers, restricting the holder to those conditions while in Canada. In contrast, an open work permit allows the holder to work for any Canadian employer in almost any capacity.
Canadian immigration guidelines outline the conditions under which individuals can apply for open work permits:
You are a permanent resident applicant in Canada who has successfully secured a job.
You are a dependent family member of another permanent resident or applicant in Canada.
You are the spouse of an international student studying or working in Canada.
You possess a valid temporary resident permit.
You are a young worker participating in a specific scheme or program.
In each of these situations, additional eligibility criteria must be met.
Moreover, if your spouse is currently employed or studying in Canada, you can apply for a spouse open work permit under specific conditions:
You are the spouse of a skilled worker in an occupation classified under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0, A, or B, with a work permit in Canada for a duration of six months or longer.
You are the spouse of someone applying for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program in a job under NOC 0, A, B, or C in Canada.
You are the spouse of a foreign student at a public post-secondary school, college, or university in Canada.
You are a family member of a foreign representative.
You are a family member of a foreign military person working in Canada.
Additionally, if your spouse holds an open work permit, such as a post-graduation work permit, you need to submit a copy of your spouse’s work permit along with your application for an open work permit. This should be accompanied by documents such as an official letter from your spouse’s current employer confirming their work permit under an NOC 0, A, or B occupation, or a copy of your spouse’s job offer or contract, and recent pay slips from their current organization in Canada.