Work permit

Pursuant to Canada Immigration laws, a foreign national may not engage in employment in Canada unless authorized to do so under Canada Immigration law. In many but not all instances, a Work Permit is required and will only be issued by a Canada Immigration officer after Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) approves the employment offer of a prospective Canada employer to a foreign national.

HRDC considers whether the prospective employer has made reasonable efforts to hire a Canada for the employment opening and whether or not the wages and working conditions of the employment offered are sufficient to attract and retain a Canadian in the employment. HRDC can also consider other elements that might indicate a benefit for Canada and Canada employment-seekers.

In most instances, once HRDC has approved an employment offer, it sends the approval to Canada Immigration officials and the foreign national will be contacted by the Canada Immigration office. He/she may be asked to go to an Immigration interview and/or to undergo an Immigration medical examination at his/her own expense. Canada Immigration officers must examine whether a person is entering the labor market, rather than just applying the test of whether the foreign national intends to engage in an activity for which he/she might reasonably be expected to receive valuable consideration. If the foreign national meets all Canada Immigration requirements and has all of the necessary Canada Immigration documents, he/she will receive an Immigration Work Permit.

The Immigration Work Permit will state that the foreign national can work in a specific employment capacity for a specific period of time for a specific employer. An Immigration Work Permit will NOT be issued to a foreign national to come to Canada to look for employment.