Canada · Work

Work permit

Work permit is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. VisaAI tracks 14 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.

Last verified against the official source on .

VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.

Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s own page before you apply.

Conditions you must meet

  • Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in CanadaIRCC states you may be eligible for an employer-specific or an open work permit.
  • An employer-specific work permit requires a job offer; an open work permit does notIRCC publishes this as the defining difference between the two permit types.
  • A work permit cannot be issued for longer than your passport is validStated on the IMM 1295 instructions where you enter the expected start and end dates of your work in Canada. IRCC also states those dates should match the LMIA, the offer of employment, or the duration allowed in the work permit category for an open work permit.

Official forms

  • Application for a Work Permit Made Outside of Canada (IMM 1295)IRCC states each person who needs a work permit must fill out this form. It is titled for applications made outside Canada; the inside-Canada and port-of-entry routes were not extracted.Official form
  • Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409)Required by the IMM 1295 instructions where the applicant is in a common-law union.
  • Use of a Representative (IMM 5476)

Documents you must provide

  • Original employment contract and Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)Required by the IMM 1295 instructions where you need an LMIA to get a work permit. Applicants who do not need an LMIA give the name of the employer who provided the offer of employment number instead. VisaAI has no fact for whether an LMIA is needed, so this is stated rather than gated.
  • Your LMIA number or offer of employment numberIRCC states the LMIA number is seven digits, and the LMIA-exempt offer of employment number begins with the letter 'a' followed by seven numbers.
  • Photocopy of your marriage licence or certificateRequired by the IMM 1295 instructions where the applicant is married.

Steps in the process

  • Sign in to your account, upload documents, pay fees and give biometricsIRCC's own summary of the submission step on the apply-from-outside-Canada page.
  • Validate the form to generate the barcode pageIRCC requires validation when the form is completed on a computer. Paper applicants must print the barcode page (page 5 of 5) and place it on top of the application, or on top of each individual application package when applying as a group.
  • Send IRCC your original passport if you also need a temporary resident visaApplies after approval, and only where a temporary resident visa is needed, so that IRCC can issue the visa counterfoil.

Government fees

  • Work permit processing feeCAD 155.00 per person, the same amount as for an extension. A group of 3 or more performing artists and their staff applying at the same time and place pays a maximum of CAD 465.00. IRCC's apply page writes the fee as '$155 (unless exempt)'; the exemption list was not read.
  • Biometrics feeCAD 85.00 per individual, with a maximum of CAD 170.00 for a family of 2 or more eligible people applying at the same time, and CAD 255.00 for a group of 3 or more performing artists applying for a work permit at the same time. Payable only if your citizenship requires biometrics; IRCC publishes a separate tool to check, and that country list has not been extracted.

Official sources

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