OVERVIEW - WORK PERMIT
REGISTERED AND LICENSED CANADIAN IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT IN NANAIMO, BC
More than 300,000 Canadian work permits are issued every year, though they are increasingly difficult to obtain and increasingly more in demand. With work permits often being a critical step in permanent immigration, it is important to get the right work permit at the right time.
Here are the few topics that fall under the work permit category
- LMIA – Based Work Permit
- NAFTA
- Student Work Permit
- Spousal Work Permit
- Intra-Company Transferee Work Permits
- Working Holiday Permits
- Work Permit Exempt Activities
LMIA Based Work Permit
This is a 2 step process. First, the employer must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). A positive LMIA means that the Canadian employer have done its very best to hire Canadian immigrants or citizen but was unsuccesfu; for various reasons. This will state that hiring a foreign worker for a particular position would not have a negative effect on the Canadian labour market.
ESDC will consider factors such as:
- Would hiring the foreign worker result in jobs created or maintained?
- Would skills or knowledge be transferred to Canadians?
- Is there a shortage of workers for the specified occupation and location?
- Is the employer offering prevailing market wages for the position?
- Did the employer advertise or try to recruit in Canada for the position?
- Is there is a labour dispute in process?
- Has the employer made reasonable efforts to comply with conditions of a previously-issued LMIA?
After receiving the positive LMIA, the second step is for the foreign worker to apply for a work permit.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
Spousal Work Permit
If you are married, or have been living with a common-law partner for at least one year, you may be eligible to apply for an open work permit based on your spouse/common-law partner’s eligible work permit, study permit or work permit exemption.
If your spouse or common-law partner is sponsoring you for permanent resident status from within Canada, you may also be eligible to apply for an open work permit.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
Intra-Company Transferee Work Permits
Overseas companies may sometimes have established or wish to establish a branch in Canada. Like the ICT Work Permit under NAFTA, work permits can be issued for employees of these companies if they have worked with an affiliate of the Canadian company overseas for at least one year in the past three years; and the position has either been executive, senior managerial, or required specialized knowledge.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
Working Holiday Work Permit
Canada has agreements with many countries which allow their citizens, usually age 18-35, to obtain work permits through the Working Holiday Programs (“WHP”). Canada’s WHP is well-known in countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the USA, but many other countries such as Hong Kong, Italy, France, Spain and others also have WHPs. Each country has varying options and eligibility, but the main categories are:
- Working Holiday: This is the most flexible: allows you to work for any employer, in any occupation;
- Young Professionals: This is specific to an employer and occupation;
- International Coop: This is specific to an employer to work in an occupation related to your studies.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
Work Permit Exempted Activities
Work Permit Exempt Activities
Some activities may not even require a work permit; for example, religious workers who are preaching, teaching, or counseling in spiritual matters do not usually require a work permit. Other examples include certain business visitors, performing artists, and guest speakers.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
Bridging Open Permit
Extend your work permit – Bridging open work permit
If you are currently working in Canada and you have applied for permanent residence, you may be eligible for a bridging open work permit if your work permit will expire in four months or less. This means you can keep working while we make a decision on your permanent resident application.
To qualify, you must have applied under the:
- Federal Skilled Worker Program,
- Canadian Experience Class,
- Federal Skilled Trades Program,
- Provincial Nominee Program,
- Caring for Children Class, or
- Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class.
You must also:
- Currently be in Canada,
- Have valid status on a work permit that is due to expire within four months,
- Select “Open Work Permit” as the type of work permit when you complete your work permit application, and
- Pay the work permit processing fee and the Open Work Permit Holder fee.
Note: If you applied under the Provincial Nominee Program, you must not have employment restrictions as conditions of your nomination.
A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.
We offer Immigration Services to clients across British Columbia including cities: Nanaimo, Ladysmith, Duncan, Parksville, Vancouver, Victoria, Richmond, Surrey, and the rest of Canada except Quebec.
We also serve across China, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, and the rest of the world.
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A registered and licensed Canadian Immigration Consultant from Roman Associates is here to help.