Canada is a famous and renowned location for many foreigners searching for employment worldwide. Employment opportunities are also an ideal place to start for individuals wishing to relocate permanently to Canada.
A work permit is An official document allowing foreigners to work in Canada. About 500,000 temporary foreign workers worldwide receive work permits from Canada every year.
Eligibility and Application for a Work Permit
Most applicants will need a job offer from Canada backed by the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to apply for a work permit. However, there may be instances whereby foreign workers can apply for a work permit without having to provide an LMIA or a job offer. The two examples of the aforementioned are someone who recently graduated from a Canadian Designated Learning Institute (DLI) or one’s partner who currently holds a work or study permit in Canada.
In addition to fulfilling the preceding eligibility conditions, candidates who are eligible to apply for a work permit must:
1. Prove that they have enough money to maintain themselves and their family in Canada and to go back when needed.
2. Show that they intend to depart from their work once the work permit expires.
3. Prove they are not ineligible to enter the country due to a criminal or medical record or condition.
4. Make plans to work with an employer who is satisfied and approved in the country.
5. They must be able to provide any needed paperwork that could validate their eligibility to enter Canada.
Types of Work Permits in Canada
Securing a work permit in Canada can be accomplished through various methods. For some work permits, an employment offer from a Canadian employer is necessary; for others, the company must submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Yet others demand some type of connection to Canada (such as prior schooling or spousal sponsorship). The categories listed below should be reviewed to choose the work permit most closely matches one’s qualifications.
1. A Work Permit is Needed for the LMJA
- Global Talent Stream.
- Temporary Foreign Work Program (TWFP).
- Facilitated LMIA (Quebec).
2. Those who do not need LMIA but demand a work offer or work contract
- Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- IMP (International Mobility Program)
- Intra-company Transfer
3. A work permit requiring no job offer or an LMIA, i.e., an open work permit.
- Permit for post-graduate work (PGWP).
- Spousal sponsorship via an International Experience Canada (IEC) working holiday permit within Canada
- Open Work Permit for Bridging (BOWP).
- Spouse of an international worker or student.
Renewing Your Work Permit
If your work permit as a worker based in Canada is about to expire or you wish to modify its terms, you must file a new application at least 30 days in advance of the expiration of your current permit.
However, it is legally permissible for applicants to remain in Canada while the IRCC (Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada) processes the application to renew a work permit.
If a worker’s present job changes, for instance, if there’s a new job offer or he or she takes on additional duties, the work permit terms will also change. Until the worker obtains a new work permit, he is not permitted to start working for a different employer or take on a new job offer.
Process for One to Renew a Work Permit
To renew a work permit while in Canada, applicants must apply online. They must also have electronic copies of their supporting documentation and pay an application processing fee.
A worker wishing to renew a work permit must answer some questions before uploading the required forms. Additionally, he will need to register an account to submit an application for a work permit and track its progress. If the IRCC approves the application, he will receive a new work permit.
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Conclusion
The IRCC warns that applying to renew a work permit doesn’t guarantee approval of the application.
Engaging the services of a knowledgeable Canadian immigration attorney is advised if a worker in Canada wishes to prolong or renew a work permit.
The legal staff of Cohen Immigration Law (CLI) is committed to understanding the circumstances and providing necessary support throughout the application process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If a worker does not apply to renew his work permit before it expires, he must cease employment while still in Canada. This means that the worker could nevertheless regain his employment status. For a worker to maintain employment status, an application can be submitted if:
1. After losing employment status, the worker applies within 90 days.
2. To fulfill the prerequisites for his stay, for example., he should state that he didn’t engage in any illicit acts.
3. Before the expiration of the work permit, he must fulfill all the requirements stated therein.
A worker based in Canada must ascertain whether he is still permitted to continue working if his work permit expires, even while the IRCC is reviewing the application.
He (a Canadian-based worker) is permitted to work without a permit until his application is reviewed and a verdict given, so long as he has filed an extension of the permit or renewed a work permit when it expires. He is still operating within the same guidelines as the expired permit.
A worker can continue working for a permit based on employment, but only for the employer listed on the initial work permit until the IRCC decides on the application.
If the application is for a study permit to renew a work permit upon expiration, the applicant must quit studying. It is also possible that even after the application for a study permit is filed and submitted, he won’t start studying until after the IRCC reviews the application.
