Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada.
Answer a few questions if you’re not sure if you need a work permit or which one you should get.
There are 2 types of work permits.
What's Covered in This Article
Employer-specific work permit
An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Canada according to the conditions on your work permit, such as
- the name of the specific employer you can work for
- how long you can work
- the location where you can work (if applicable)
Before you apply for an employer-specific work permit, your employer must give you
- a copy of your employment contract
- 1 of the following:
- a copy of a labour market impact assessment (LMIA)
- an offer of employment number (for LMIA-exempt workers)
- To get this number, your employer must use the Employer Portal.
If your employer doesn’t need to use the Employer Portal
If your employer does not need to use the Employer Portal to submit an offer of employment, they must give you a copy of the employment contract.
Open work permit
Changes to eligibility to work in Canada for spouses, common-law partners and dependent children of work permit holders
Beginning January 30, 2023, Canada expanded eligibility to work in Canada to spouses and dependent children of most work permit holders at all skill levels.
You may be eligible for an open work permit if you’re a
- spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of a work permit holder who
- works in a job of any Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category (0 to 5), or
- is the principal applicant and has an open work permit (example: post-graduation work permit holders at all skill levels)
- spouse, common-law partner or dependent child of an economic classes permanent resident applicant who holds a work permit
Who is not eligible at this time
Spouses and dependents of workers in a TEER 4 or 5 job under the low-wage stream of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Agricultural Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are not eligible at this time.
An open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada, except for one that
- is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions, or
- regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages
You can only get an open work permit in specific situations.
If you want to bring your family with you
Your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children may be able to work, study or live with you while you work in Canada.
Bringing your family to Canada with you
Fees
From $155
Processing time
Eligibility requirements for all applicants
There are specific requirements you need to meet depending on where you are when you apply for your work permit.
But regardless of where you apply or which type of work permit you apply for, you must
- prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires;
- show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home;
- obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate);
- not be a danger to Canada’s security;
- be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed;
- not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions;
- not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages; and
- give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.
Eligibility requirements if you apply from outside Canada
Anyone can apply before they enter Canada. However, there may be visa office requirements that you need to meet depending on what country or territory you’re applying from. Make sure you follow the instructions for how to apply.
Find out if you can benefit from the Global Skills Strategy’s two-week application processing.
Global Skills Strategy: Find out if you’re eligible for faster processing
Start working in Canada faster through the Global Skills Strategy (GSS).
Canada aims to process eligible GSS work permit applications within 2 weeks.
Processing delays for GSS applications
Processing times for GSS applications continue to be affected by both
- the number of applications Canada received while COVID-19 health and travel restrictions were in place
- an increase in applications as health and travel restrictions lift in Canada and around the world
It will probably take more than 2 weeks to process your GSS application. Canada continues to recover so they can return to 2-week processing.
Who is eligible for faster processing
There are 2 ways you can be eligible for 2-week processing of your work permit application, depending on if you need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA).
If you don’t need an LMIA (LMIA-exempt)
If you don’t need an LMIA, you may be eligible for 2-week processing if you meet all of these requirements:
- You’re applying from outside Canada.
- Your job is classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system.
- Your employer has submitted an offer of employment using the Employer Portal and paid the employer compliance fee.
International Experience Canada applicants are not eligible for GSS processing.
National Occupation Classification 2021
On November 16, 2022, Canada switched to the 2021 version of the NOC system.
If you apply on or after November 16, 2022, your job must be either TEER 0 or 1 to be eligible for the Global Skills Strategy.
Check the NOC 2021 to make sure you’re still eligible.
International Experience Canada applicants are not eligible for Global Skills Strategy processing.
If you need an LMIA (LMIA-required)
If you need an LMIA, you could qualify for 2-week processing if you meet all of these requirements:
- you’re applying from outside Canada
- you have a positive LMIA through the Global Talent Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (this will be on the LMIA decision letter)
Spouses and dependents
Your spouse, common-law partner and dependent children are also eligible for 2-week processing if they apply at the same time as you. This applies to applications for a
- visitor visa
- work permit
- study permit
They must submit a complete application and apply at the same time as you.
Eligibility for the Global Talent Stream
You may be eligible for Category A of the Global Talent Stream if you have been referred to the Global Talent Stream by one of the Stream’s designated partners and if you are being hired as an individual with unique and specialized talent.
Note that if the requested occupation is included on the Global Talent Occupations List, it will be processed as a Category B application and must meet Category B requirements.
Or
You may be eligible for Category B of the Global Talent Stream if you are seeking to hire highly-skilled foreign workers to fill positions in in-demand occupations found on the Global Talent Occupations List. A referral is not required to be eligible for Category B.
| National Occupations Classification (NOC) code 2011 | NOC code 2021 | Occupation | Minimum wage requirement (annual salary) | Minimum wage requirement (hourly rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0213 | 20012 | Computer and information systems managers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2131 | 21300 | Civil engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2133 | 21310 | Electrical and electronics engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2143 | 21330 | Mining engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2146 | 21390 | Aerospace engineers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2147 | 21311 | Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| Sub-set of 2161* | Sub-set of 21210* | Mathematicians and statisticians* Positions for actuaries or related occupations are excluded from this subset. | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2171 | 21211 – Data scientists
21220 – Cybersecurity specialists 21221 – Business system specialists 21222 – Information systems specialists 21233 – Web designers |
Information systems analysts and consultants | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2172 | 21211 – Data scientists
21223 – Database analysts and data administrators |
Database analysts and data administrators | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2173 | 21231 – Software engineers and designers
21211 – Data scientists |
Software engineers and designers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2174 | 21230 – Computer systems developers and programmers
21232 – Software developers and programmers 21234 – Web developers and programmers |
Computer programmers and interactive media developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2175 | 21233 – Web designers
21234 – Web developers and programmers |
Web designers and developers | Prevailing wage | Prevailing wage |
| 2241 | 22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians | $86,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$41.35 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| 2281 | 22220 | Computer network technicians (NOC 2021 occupation: Computer network and web technicians) |
$85,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$40.87 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| 2283 | 22222 | Information systems testing technicians | $85,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$41.03 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| Sub-set of 5131** | Sub-set of 51120** | Producer, technical, creative and artistic director and project manager – Visual effects and video game
**The position must require a minimum of 3 years of experience in the visual effects, video game or animation industries in 1 or a combination of the following roles: producer, technical director, creative director, artistic director or project manager, senior coordinator, department manager, with 3 years of job experience in at least 1 or more of the following skills relevant to the visual effects, video game or animation industries: surfacing and look development; character or simulation rigging; matte painting; managing budgets or teams; or technical pipeline development and application for visual effects, video games, or animation production. |
$85,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$40.87 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
| Sub-set of 5241*** | Sub-set of 52120*** | Digital media designers
***The position must require a minimum of 3 years of job experience in at least 1 of the following digital media design skills: 3D modeling, compositing, paint and roto, layout and match move, digital environment and Matte painting, texture, lighting shading, character effects, effects and simulations, design and scenario, rigging, user interface or user experience, responsive design (for gaming), virtual reality, augmented reality, digital media animation, levels editing for digital media design, software editing for digital media design, pipeline software development or applications relevant for digital media design |
$80,000 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
$38.46 or higher prevailing wage
If you are submitting an application from the province of Quebec, consult Quebec’s ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website (French only) for wage floors |
Global talent stream processing fee
Your employer must pay $1,000 for each position requested under the Global Talent Stream to cover the cost of processing your application.
- The processing fee payment (in Canadian dollars) can be made by:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- American Express
- Certified cheque (shall be made payable to the Receiver General for Canada)
- Money Order (shall be made payable to the Receiver General for Canada)
- Bank draft (shall be made payable to the Receiver General for Canada)
- The processing fee will not be refunded if your application is withdrawn at your request, cancelled or if your application receives a negative assessment. Refunds are issued only if a fee was collected in error
- The processing fee cannot be paid by nor be recovered from the temporary foreign workers.
How to get faster processing Canada work permit 2023
Once you have the documents and information you need from your employer, you and your family members must
- apply online from outside Canada
- submit a complete application, which includes
- a medical exam (if needed)
- Find out if you need a medical exam and book it before you apply so you can include it with your application.
- police certificates (check your local visa office requirements)
- certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French
- processing fees
- a medical exam (if needed)
- submit your biometrics results within 2 weeks of submitting your application (if needed)
Incomplete applications are not eligible for GSS and will take longer to process. Check processing times.
Local visa office requirements
Many of Canada visa offices abroad have specific instructions that you need to follow. Check your local visa office requirements to make sure you are including all required documents with your application.
If you have local instructions to follow, you can find them in the application package.
- Go to the Canada work permit 2023 application.
- Select “Apply online”.
- Select the country or territory you’re applying from.
- Download the country-specific visa office requirements from the list of documents, if there are any.
To be eligible for 2-week processing you must include certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French, even if your visa office requirements say we accept other languages.
Examples of requirements that may change depending on where you’re applying from include
Special instructions if you need an LMIA
Make sure you
- answer “yes” when asked during the online eligibility check, “Did Employment and Social Development Canada issue your employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment under the Global Talent Stream?”
- apply as soon as they receive your LMIA decision letter
Who’s not eligible for faster processing
Canada won’t process your Canada work permit 2023 application in 2 weeks if
- your application is incomplete
- you don’t include certified translations of documents that aren’t in English or French
- you forget documents from your local visa office instructions
- you submit a paper application
- you apply from inside Canada
- you submit an International Experience Canada application
