Work in Canada Work Permit Open Work Permit Employer-Specific Work Permit Change Condition/Extension
Every year, thousands of temporary foreign workers bring their skills to Canada, helping to drive our economy and fill critical labour market gaps. While they play an important role in Canada’s prosperity, foreign workers sometimes face barriers in the types of study programs in which they can enrol to pursue their dreams and create new opportunities.
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The case of a young family facing deportation due to an error on their paperwork highlights the need for greater provincial oversight of temporary foreign workers, says a member of British Columbia’s Opposition New Democrats.
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You can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside Canada or from another country, as long as you’re eligible.
You have up to 180 days after you graduate to apply for a PGWP.
When you apply, you must confirm the following:
that you attended and completed your program
the name of your program and
the length of your program
You can confirm these by submitting any of the following:
your degree or diploma
your transcript or
an official letter from your school
If your study permit will expire before you get your marks, you have 2 options. You can
apply for a visitor record to stay in Canada longer or
leave Canada and apply for your PGWP
You can apply for a PGWP from outside Canada as long as you’re eligible and you’ve been approved for a study permit. You don’t have to have held a valid study permit at any point during your online studies from outside Canada.
You have up to 180 days after you graduate to apply for a PGWP. When you apply, you must confirm the following:
that you attended and completed your program
the name of your program and
the length of your program
You can confirm these by submitting any of the following:
your degree or diploma
your transcript or
an official letter from your school
You can apply for a PGWP if you
were enrolled in a program that was in progress in March 2020 or
started or will start a program between spring 2020 and summer 2022 and
you have a study permit or
you’ve been approved for a study permit or
you applied for a study permit before starting your study program
Your study permit must eventually be approved.
and you
completed a study program
at a designated learning institution
that was at least 8 months long and
which led to a degree, diploma or certificate
maintained full-time status as a student during each semester of your study program
This doesn’t include your final semester, which can be part-time, or if you took an approved leave from your studies.
If you had to stop studying or change to part-time studies between March 2020 and the fall semester in 2020 because of reasons related to COVID-19, you may still be eligible for a PGWP.
graduated from one of the following:
a public post-secondary institution, such as a college, trade/technical institution, university or CEGEP (in Quebec)
a private post-secondary institution in Quebec that operates under the same rules as public institutions in Quebec
a private or public secondary or post-secondary institution (in Quebec) that offers qualifying programs of 900 hours or longer, that leads to a diploma of vocational studies (DVS), or an attestation of vocational specialization (AVS);
An AVS can be less than 900 hours if combined with a DVS.
a Canadian private institution that is authorized to award degrees under provincial law (for example, an Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree), but only if you’re enrolled in a study program that leads to a degree as authorized by the province, which may not include all programs of study offered by the private institution.
You can apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) from inside Canada as long as you’re eligible.
You have up to 180 days after you graduate to apply for a PGWP. When you apply, you must confirm the following:
that you attended and completed your program
the name of your program and
the length of your program
You can confirm these by submitting any of the following:
your degree or diploma
your transcript or
an official letter from your school
To be eligible, your study permit must have been valid at some point during these 180 days.
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The PGWP Process
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.
Graduation from a DLI doesn’t automatically make you eligible for a PGWP. Check the DLI list to find out which schools have eligible programs.
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News release
May 26, 2023—Vancouver—Families are meant to be together, especially during life’s big moments like moving to a new country. That is why Canada is working to help families reunite more quickly and easily, and support themselves once in Canada.
Today, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, joined by the Honourable Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre, announced new measures to strengthen family reunification, including
faster temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal applicants
new and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants
a new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants
open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023
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To keep pace with inflation, the federal minimum wage will increase from $15.55 to $16.65 per hour on April 1, 2023. Based on the Consumer Price Index, which rose 6.8% in 2022, the increase will help make life more affordable for the approximately 26,000 Canadian workers who earn less than the current rate.
Federally regulated private-sector employers must adjust their payroll information with the new rate to ensure workers and interns are paid correctly as of April 1. Where the provincial or territorial minimum wage rate is higher than the federal minimum wage, employers must apply the higher rate.
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Foreign nationals whose PGWP has already expired in 2023, as well as those who were eligible for the 2022 PGWP facilitative measure, will also have the opportunity to apply for an additional 18-month work permit.
Starting April 6 2023, international graduates with a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) expiring in 2023 will qualify for an extended work permit to stay in Canada for up to 18 months longer.
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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International Experience Canada (IEC) gives youth the opportunity to travel and work in Canada for up to 2 years.
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Call the Employer Contact Centre from Monday to Friday, between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm, Eastern Time, to get more information about:
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Processing times of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications can vary depending on the number of applications received by TFWP. While we are committed to processing all LMIA applications as quickly as possible, you can help reduce processing times by:
submitting your application using the LMIA Online Portal
As an employer, you must comply with all the Temporary Foreign Worker Program requirements for the position you are requesting. Learn about employer compliance and the possible consequences of non-compliance. You must also ensure that the employment you want to offer to a temporary foreign worker is for a full-time position which means that is has to be for a minimum of 30 hours of work/week.
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The LMIA exemption codes are listed in the following tables.
Important: There were several code changes and new codes added on December 15, 2022. Officers should ensure that they are using the correct coding based on the specific work permit category instructions.
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There are certain conditions that may justify why we cannot process a Labour Market Impact Assessment application. These conditions include:
Regulatory authority
Public policy considerations in ministerial instructions
The requirement for additional supporting documents to demonstrate that your business and job offer are legitimate is dependent on your history with the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program and the type of LMIA application you are submitting. To find out if you are required to submit business legitimacy documentation please review the following statements:
I have received a positive LMIA decision in the past 2 years, and
my most recent LMIA decision was positive
ESDC: Employment and Social Development Canada The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is intended to be used when you are facing
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