Visitor

A visitor comes for a temporary purpose: tourism, family, a short course, or business that does not enter the labour market. The usual stay at the border is up to six months. The officer can give less. A visitor does not work and does not study in a program longer than six months. Staying after […]

LMIA Requirements

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is Service Canada’s decision on one job. A positive result says the employer may hire a foreign worker for that job because the hire will be neutral or positive for the Canadian labour market. It is not a work permit. The worker still applies to IRCC, and IRCC can still […]

Close (LMIA-Based)

In this menu, “closed” means the permit is tied to an employer. It does not mean every route below needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Each section says which it is. Read this before the list How we can help Canada’s Free Trade Agreements How we can help Temporary Work Permits in Quebec How we […]

Open (LMIA-Exempt)

These permits do not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and they are not tied to one employer. A few sections below are “no permit at all” when the person never enters the labour market. Those are not open work permits. Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) An open permit after an eligible program at a designated […]

Work Permit

A work permit is permission to work in Canada for a limited time. It is not permanent residence, and it is not a visa. You may also need a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorization to travel. Two cuts, and they are not the same The menu heading “Close (LMIA-Based)” gathers employer-specific routes. […]

Study Permit

A study permit lets an international student study at a designated learning institution for a program longer than six months. It is not a visa, and it is not a general permission to work. The school has to be designated. The student has to be accepted before they apply. Your options on this page How […]

Temporary residency

Temporary residence is permission to be in Canada for a limited time, for a stated purpose. It does not become permanent residence by lasting long enough. Your options Two permissions, not one What has to stay true How we can help