Work Permit

You may not need a work permit to work temporarily in Canada. Find out if you need one.

Temporary workers
Learn how to get a work permit if you are a temporary worker.

Live-in caregivers
Find out how to get a work permit if you are a live-in caregiver.

Business people
Discover if you need a work permit and how to get one if you are a business person.

Students
Find out if you can work while you study.

4. Study in Canada5. Work in CanadaWork Permit

PGWP Guide: Apply from Outside Canada – Eligibility Criteria

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.

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4. Study in Canada5. Work in CanadaWork Permit

PGWP Guide: Apply from Inside Canada – Eligibility Criteria

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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3. Visiting Canada5. Work in Canada7. Federal Immigration ProgramsC10. IRCC Policies and ManualsFamily Class (Spouses, Dependent Children, Parents)VisitWork Permit

New Policy: Spouse and Dependents Open Work Permit / TRV for Family Class Application

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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4. Study in Canada5. Work in CanadaStudy PermitWork Permit

New IRCC Public Policy: Work Permit Extension for PGWP Holders

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.

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5. Work in CanadaWork Permit

LMIA Application for High-Wage Positions

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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5. Work in CanadaWork Permit

Business Legitimacy for LMIA Sponsoring Company

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

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