Citizenship and Immigration Canada
www.cic.gc.ca
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Working temporarily in Canada: Eligibility to apply
You almost always have to apply for a work permit from outside Canada. Sometimes, you can apply from inside or as you enter Canada. Many of the requirements are the same.
Learn about:
- Eligibility to apply from outside Canada
- Eligibility to apply from inside Canada
- Eligibility to apply as you enter Canada
Eligibility to apply from outside Canada
To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents:
- a job offer from a Canadian employer
- a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, and
- written confirmation from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.
- In most cases, it is up to your employer to get that written confirmation. Information on the labour market opinion is found under Information for Canadian employers on the right-hand side of this page.
- In some cases, you do not need a labour market opinion. (See Jobs that require a work permit but no labour market opinion.)
You must also do the following:
- Satisfy a visa officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your work permit.
- Show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family while you are in Canada.
- Respect the law and have no criminal record. (You may have to provide a police clearance certificate. See Have a medical exam or criminal check done in the Quick Find section on the right-hand side of this page.)
- Show that you are not a risk to the security of Canada.
- Be in good health. (You may have to have a medical examination.)
Some temporary foreign workers can have Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) start processing their work permit applications before a Canadian visa office has an approved labour market opinion. To find out more, see Concurrent processing: NOC, levels O, A and B in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Eligibility to apply from inside Canada
You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if:
- you have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit
- you have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job
- you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or
- you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.
You must also have the following documents:
- a job offer from a Canadian employer
- a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, and
- written confirmation from HRSDC that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.
- In most cases, it is up to your employer to get that written confirmation. Information on the labour market opinion is found under Information for Canadian employers on the right-hand side of this page.
- In some cases, you do not need a labour market opinion. (See Jobs that require a work permit but no labour market opinion.)
You must also do the following:
- Satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your work permit.
- Show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family while you are in Canada.
- Respect the law and have no criminal record. (You may have to provide a police clearance certificate. See Have a medical exam or criminal check done in the Quick Find section on the right-hand side of the page.)
- Show that you are not a risk to the security of Canada.
- Be in good health. (You may have to have a medical examination.)
Note: if you are a temporary foreign worker in Canada who has a work permit under the Low Skill Pilot Project, and you want to extend your stay, please see Low Skill Pilot Project in the Related Links at the bottom of this page.
Eligibility to apply as you enter Canada
You can apply for a work permit as you enter Canada, but only if you meet the following requirements:
- You are from the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.
- You do not need a medical examination (or you already have a medical certificate).
- You do not need a temporary resident visa to visit Canada and your job does not need a labour market opinion from HRSDC. (See Jobs that require a work permit but no labour market opinion.)
- You hold a labour market opinion from HRSDC.
To find out if you need a medical examination, see Medical examination requirements for visitors in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.
Note: if your job does need a labour market opinion, you can apply as you enter Canada as long as the positive opinion has been issued to you before you enter (except for live-in caregivers and seasonal agricultural workers).
