Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or as live-in caregivers.

A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada, though for some positions and business people it is not necessary. More information on work permits for temporary jobs can be found in this section of the website.

Who can apply

Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. For some categories of workers, permits are approved more quickly.

The requirements and processing times depend on the sort of work you will do when you come to Canada.

Read the information under What you should know and Eligibility to apply to find out if you need a work permit or if you are in a special category where a work permit may not be necessary or is approved differently.

Remember, even if you do not need a work permit, you may need to meet other requirements. Read the information carefully.

There is a difference between coming to Canada as a business visitor and coming to Canada as a business person. For information about coming to Canada as a business visitor, go to Jobs that do not require a work permit. For information about coming to Canada as a business person, go to Special categories.

How to apply

This page describes how to apply for a work permit.

Remember that in most cases, you have to apply for a work permit from outside Canada. Your employer also has a role in the application process.

If you apply to work temporarily in Quebec, you must meet all the federal requirements and you must get a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (Certificate of acceptance) from the province. See the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

1. Check the application processing times.
2. Obtain an application package.
3. Determine where you will submit your application.
4. Determine if you need a passport and a temporary resident visa.
5. Pay the correct processing fee.
6. Submit the application form.

1. Check the application processing times.

How long it takes to process your application varies depending on where you applied. You can check application processing times in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

You can speed up the process by:

• including all the necessary information with your application
• notifying the visa office of any changes to the information on your application
• avoiding unnecessary inquiries to the visa office
• providing photocopies and documents that are clear and legible
• providing certified English or French translations of documents, where required, and
• applying from a country where you are a citizen or permanent resident.

Your application will take longer to process if the visa office has to take extra steps to assess your case. For example, extra steps are required if:

• there are criminal or security problems with your application
• your family situation is not clear because of an event, such as a divorce or an adoption that is not yet complete or child custody issues that have not been resolved
• the local visa office has to consult with other Citizenship and Immigration Canada offices in Canada or abroad
• you require a medical examination.

2. Obtain an application package.

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package.

Before you fill out the application, you will need:

• a written job offer from your employer
• proof that you meet the requirements of the job (for example, proof of certain education or work experience) and
• the positive labour market opinion on your job offer from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), if one is required. In some cases, you can submit your application while you wait for the positive labour market opinion. See Concurrent processing in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

If you need an HRSDC opinion, it is up to your employer to get it and send it to you. For more information about HRSDC opinions, go to Frequently asked questions in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

Remember, even if HRSDC has given a positive labour market opinion, there is no guarantee that you will get a work permit.

Some jobs do not require an HRSDC opinion. For more information on those jobs, go to Work permit: Who can apply in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. For these jobs you will require:

• proof of identity in the form of a valid passport or travel document that guarantees that you will be able to return to the country where it was issued and
• if you are not a citizen of the country in which you are applying, you must also provide proof of your present immigration status in that country.

After your employer gets confirmation that you can be offered a job, the employer will send you the labour market opinion confirmation letter. You must submit the detailed job offer with the application.

Now you can apply for a work permit at a Canadian mission abroad.

3. Determine where you will submit your application.

You must submit your application to the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live. You must have legal status in your country of residence. For a list of visa offices, go to Find a CIC office in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

In some cases, you can apply for a work permit when you arrive in Canada, or from within Canada. For details, go to Work permit: Who can apply in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

4. Determine if you need a passport and a temporary resident visa.

If you want to work in Canada, you must meet the requirements for a work permit. You must also meet the general requirements for entering Canada. This means that you might also need a passport and a temporary resident visa.

A temporary resident visa is an official document that is placed in your passport. To find out if you need a visa to enter Canada, see the Visit section on the left-hand side of this page.

If you require a temporary resident visa, you do not have to apply for it separately or pay a separate fee. If your work permit is approved, the visa will be issued at the same time as the documentation you need to enter Canada as a worker.

If you are a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, you do not need a passport or a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. You must, however, provide proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.

5. Pay the correct processing fee.

There is a fee for applying for a work permit.

For current rates, go to Pay my application fees in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page. In many countries, the fee can be paid in the local currency.

Check the website of the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live for more information on fees, including how to pay them.

Your fee will not be refunded, even if your application is not accepted.

6. Submit the application form.

Once you are sure your application form is complete, sign and date it, and check that you have included all the required documents and fees. Make sure you have the right receipt for the fees.

Remember, your application will be returned to you if it is not properly completed or if documents are missing.

After applying

Once we have received your application for a work permit, we will start processing it.

You may be asked to go to an interview with Citizenship and Immigration Canada officials in your country or to send more information.

You might need a medical examination to be allowed to enter Canada. If you do, an officer will tell you so and will send you instructions on what to do. A medical examination can add over three months to the time it takes to process your application. You can find more information on medical examinations in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

If you qualify for a work permit and have submitted all the necessary documents, your application for a work permit will be approved.

An officer may impose, change or cancel conditions when issuing a work permit. These conditions may include:

• the type of work you can do
• the employer you can work for
• where you can work and
• how long you can work.

If you have been authorized to work by a visa office outside of Canada, you will receive a letter of authorization stating that you are allowed to work in Canada. That letter is not a work permit.

When you arrive in Canada, you must show your letter of authorization to the immigration officer. You must also show your passport, your visa (if one is required) and any travel documents you are carrying (such as airline tickets). The immigration officer will then give you a work permit that sets out the conditions of your stay and work in Canada. These may include your job title, your employer and the length of time you can work in Canada.

In some cases, a temporary resident visa may also be placed on your passport. Remember that a work permit is not a visa to enter Canada and having authorization to work in Canada does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the country. You will know if you need a visa from following the steps in the application process.

Presenting your documents

When you enter Canada, explain to the immigration officer that you have come here to work.

Be prepared to show supporting documents, such as your letter of offer of employment. If you have the confirmation number for your offer, give it to the immigration officer.

If you have a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada saying that you are authorized to come to Canada to work, bring it with you when you come to Canada. This letter is not a travel document and it is not your work permit, but it can help support your entry to work in Canada. Once the immigration officer has checked your documents, the officer will print the actual permit for you.

Medical and health insurance and workers’ compensation in Canada

Your employer is responsible for making sure you are covered by medical and health insurance and workers’ compensation when you arrive in Canada.

Getting a social insurance number

You must have a social insurance number (SIN) to work in Canada.

You can pick up an application form for a SIN at the point where you enter Canada. You can also download the form from the Service Canada website. To access that site, go to the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. You can mail the completed application form and the necessary identification, or you can submit it in person. Instructions are given on the form. When you receive your SIN card, give the number on it to your employer.

If your family members want to work in Canada

Your spouse may apply for an “open” work permit that will allow her or him to accept any job with any employer, if:

• you are authorized to work in Canada for six months or longer; and
• the work you are doing while you live in Canada meets a minimum skill level (usually work that would require at least a college diploma). Specifically, your job must be listed in Skill Level O, A or B in the National Occupational Classification.

Your spouse’s permit will be valid for the same period as yours. Find out more…

Your dependent children may also apply for an “open” work permit in certain provinces, subject to the same conditions mentioned above for spouses. This type of work permit is currently available in Ontario and Alberta on a trial basis. Your child’s permit will be valid for the same period as yours. They must also meet the age requirements for the province in which they live. Find out more…

Staying in Canada

Read your work permit carefully. It sets out all the conditions for working in Canada. If you do not follow those conditions, you could be asked to leave Canada.

You can apply to change the conditions of your work permit or to renew it. For more information, go to Work permit: Extending your stay in the Related Links at the bottom of this page.

Employment and labour standards

Each province and territory has standards to protect employers and employees.

Labour standards include rules about minimum wages, overtime, holidays, vacations, hours of work, rest periods and days of rest.

If you have any questions about labour standards or if you think your employer is not meeting the standards, contact the ministry responsible for labour or employment standards in the province or territory where you work.

To find out more about employment standards and your rights, see Temporary foreign workers — Your rights and the law in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

Contacting a provincial/territorial labour standards organization

To find out how to contact the office responsible for labour or employment standards in the province or territory where you work, select the appropriate link below.

Extending your stay

A work permit allows you to work in Canada temporarily.

If you want to stay in Canada for any of the following reasons after your work permit expires, you must apply to do so:

• your job is extended or changes
• you are offered a different job in Canada
• you want to live and work in Canada permanently
• you leave Canada and then want to re-enter

If you have applied to extend your status and an emergency situation requires you to travel outside Canada before you get your new permit, please contact the Call Center to ensure you will be able to return to Canada.

Note: if you are a temporary foreign worker in Canada who has a work permit under the Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training (NOC C and D), and you want to extend your stay, please see Pilot Project for Occupations Requiring Lower Levels of Formal Training (NOC C and D) under the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

Your job is extended or changes

If your job is extended or changes, you must apply to extend or change the conditions of your existing work permit before it expires.

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package.

You are offered a different job in Canada

If you are offered a different job in Canada, you must apply for a new work permit.

Do not start your new job without a new work permit.

The package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out. Download and print the application package.

You want to live and work in Canada permanently

A work permit lets you work in Canada temporarily.

If you want to stay in Canada permanently, you must qualify under one of the permanent resident categories, such as the skilled worker category. Information about coming to Canada as a skilled worker can be found in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.

You leave Canada and then want to re?enter

If you leave Canada after working here and then want to come back here to work, you must have a valid passport or travel document and a valid work permit.

If you are a citizen of a country that requires a temporary resident visa to travel to Canada, you must also have a valid entry visa to return, unless you are returning to Canada from the United States, Greenland or Saint-Pierre et Miquelon and the period initially authorized for your entry or any extension to it, as a visitor, student or worker has not expired.

Possession of these documents does not guarantee that you will be allowed back into Canada. You must show that you meet all the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations before you will be allowed to re-enter Canada.