Work Permit

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Work Permit

Work Permit

There are 2 types of work permits: open work permits and employer-specific work permits.

Open Work Permit

An open work permit allows you to work for any employer in Canada, except for an employer:

who is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions or
who regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages

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’s 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
are a young worker participating in special programs

In each of these situations, you must meet additional criteria to be eligible.

Post Graduate Work Permit

The Post-Graduation Work Permit is a one-time visa for international students who graduate from certain Canadian post-secondary institutions.

You may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if you graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) and want to stay in Canada temporarily to work.

Not all DLIs make you eligible for a post-graduation work permit

Eligibility for PGWP

To be eligible, your study permit must have been valid within 180 days after your school issues your final marks.

You must also have:

completed a study program:
at a designated learning institution
that was at least 8 months long and
that led to a degree, diploma or certificate
maintained full-time status as a student in Canada during each semester of your study program (except your final semester, which can be part-time, or if you took a leave from studies)
graduated from a:
public post-secondary school, such as a college, trade/technical school, university, or CEGEP (in Quebec), or
private post-secondary school (in Quebec) that operates under the same rules as public schools in Quebec, or
private secondary or post-secondary school (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, that leads to a diplôme d’études professionnelles (DEP)or an attestation de spécialisation professionnelle (ASP), or
Canadian private school that can award degrees under provincial law (for example, Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate degree) but only if you’re enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province

Fees for open work permits

work permit fee ($155)
open work permit holder fee ($100)

Employer-specific work permit

An employer-specific work permit allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which includes:

the name of the employer you can work for
how long you can work
the location where you can work (if applicable)

Most employers need an LMIA before they can hire a temporary foreign worker.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. It is the employer who is responsible for the application of LMIA.

Fees for Employer-specific work permits

work permit fee ($155)