Work Permits in Canada

Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues work permits under section 200 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). An employer-specific work permit lets you work only for the employer, occupation and location printed on it. An open work permit lets you work for any employer, except employers on IRCC's non-compliant list and employers that regularly offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

Work permits come through two programs. Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), run by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) with IRCC, the employer must first get a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) showing that no Canadian or permanent resident is available. The International Mobility Program (IMP) covers permits that need no LMIA, such as free trade agreement work, intra-company transfers, International Experience Canada and most open work permits.

The program is open but tighter. The 2026 target for new worker arrivals is 230,000. Spousal open work permits have been limited since January 21, 2025, and low-wage LMIAs face caps and refusals in some cities. Since November 3, 2026, an Express Entry job offer no longer needs an LMIA.

Likely a good fit if:

• You have a job offer from an employer that can get a positive LMIA or hire you under an LMIA exemption.
• You are transferring within a multinational company to its Canadian branch, subsidiary or affiliate.
• You are 18 to 35 (18 to 30 in some countries) and your country has an International Experience Canada arrangement.
• You are finishing an eligible program at a Canadian designated learning institution.
• Your spouse or common-law partner studies or works in Canada in an eligible program or occupation.
• You applied for permanent residence from inside Canada and need to keep working.

Look at other options if:

• You only need to attend meetings or events. Some activities, such as business visits, need no work permit.
• You already qualify for permanent residence through Express Entry or a provincial nominee program.
• You want to study first. Study permit holders can usually work up to 24 hours a week off campus during classes.
• The job is low-wage and in a census metropolitan area with unemployment of 6% or higher, where Service Canada usually will not process the LMIA.
• You want to start a business and settle permanently.

Some open work permits carry restrictions, such as a medical exam before working in certain jobs, or a single province for a permit linked to a provincial nomination.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (LMIA required). The employer applies to Service Canada and pays $1,000 per position, then gives the worker the decision letter and its Annex A. In Quebec the employer also needs a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).

• High-wage stream: wage at or above the provincial or territorial median plus 20% (for LMIAs received since July 17, 2026, for example $36.92 an hour in Ontario and $38.40 in British Columbia). At least 4 consecutive weeks of advertising and a transition plan; up to 3 years of employment.
• Low-wage stream: wage below that threshold. Since April 1, 2026, at least 8 consecutive weeks of advertising and recruitment that targets youth; 1 year maximum. Low-wage foreign workers are capped at 10% of a work location's staff (20% in construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care and some caregiver jobs).
• Low-wage refusals: Service Canada will not process most low-wage LMIAs in census metropolitan areas with unemployment of 6% or higher, including Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary for applications from October 9, 2026, to January 7, 2027. Exceptions include primary agriculture and the capped sectors above. Until March 31, 2027, rural employers in participating provinces may get a 15% cap or keep their current share; Alberta, Ontario and Nunavut are not participating.
• Global Talent Stream: for firms referred by a designated partner (Category A) or jobs on the global talent occupations list (Category B). Service standards are 10 business days for the LMIA and 2 weeks for the work permit, each met 80% of the time.
• Agricultural workers: the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (Mexico and participating Caribbean countries) and the agricultural stream for production on the national commodities list.

International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt). The employer submits an offer of employment in IRCC's Employer Portal, pays the $230 employer compliance fee and gives the worker a 7-digit offer number. The main categories are:

• Free trade agreements: professionals, traders, investors and intra-company transferees under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and other agreements, such as those with Chile, Colombia, Korea, Panama, Peru and Ukraine.
• Intra-company transferees: executives, managers and specialized knowledge workers, or employees opening a new office. You need 1 year of continuous full-time work with the company outside Canada in the last 3 years.
• Significant benefit (code C10): work with clear, compelling and documented social, cultural or economic benefits to Canadians. IRCC says it is not to be used for convenience.
• Business owners seeking only temporary residence (code C11): establishing or running your own business where it brings a significant benefit. Those planning permanent residence use other codes.
• Reciprocal employment (code C20): jobs that create or maintain similar jobs abroad for Canadians, such as exchanges run by multinational companies or academic institutions, and work under some cultural agreements.
• International Experience Canada (IEC): Working Holiday (open), Young Professionals and International Co-op (employer-specific). The 2026 pools are closed; new profiles open with the 2027 season.
• Others include Francophone Mobility (French speakers outside Quebec) and the Global Skills Strategy.

Open work permits are available only in specific situations:

• Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP): after a PGWP-eligible program of at least 8 months (900 hours in Quebec), applied for within 180 days of completion. PGWP applications since November 1, 2024, need Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French for university graduates, or CLB or NCLC 5 for college and other non-university graduates. If your study permit application was made on or after November 1, 2024, college programs and university programs other than bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees must be in an eligible field of study. Only one PGWP per person, and not at a port of entry.
• Spouses of students: since January 21, 2025, only if the student is in a master's program of 16 months or more, a doctoral program, a listed professional degree (such as medicine, law, pharmacy, nursing, education or engineering) or an eligible program listed by IRCC.
• Spouses of workers: the worker must be in a job in Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1, or a select TEER 2 or 3 job, with at least 16 months left on their permit. Dependent children no longer qualify under this measure. Since March 23, 2026, spouses of workers on a significant investment project in British Columbia qualify at any TEER without the 16-month rule. Since May 25, 2026, spouses of some health care professionals recruited by Quebec also do not need the 16 months.
• Families of workers on a path to permanent residence: if the worker applied for permanent residence under an eligible economic program, or holds a permit through certain pathways such as a provincial nominee program, the spouse and dependent children may qualify. The worker's permit needs 6 months left.
• Bridging open work permit (BOWP): for principal applicants in Canada whose permanent residence application (for example Express Entry or a provincial nominee program) passed the completeness check, and who hold a valid permit, are on maintained status or can restore status.
• Vulnerable workers: for employer-specific permit holders in Canada who are abused, or at risk of abuse, in their job. No fee; it cannot be renewed.

• Satisfy the officer you will leave Canada when your authorized stay ends. Intending to apply for permanent residence later (dual intent) is allowed.
• Have enough money for yourself and your family in Canada and to return home.
• Not be inadmissible for criminality, security, medical reasons or misrepresentation.
• Not plan to work for an ineligible employer or an employer in the sex industry.
• Be able to do the job, and give biometrics and a medical exam if required.

Medical exam: needed if you will stay more than 6 months and lived 6 months or more in a row in certain countries in the past year, and for jobs where public health must be protected, such as health care, schools, child care and in-home caregiving. A panel physician must do it.

Work permits are not ranked by points; an officer decides each application. The government limits numbers through the Immigration Levels Plan, LMIA caps and program quotas such as IEC's pools and invitation rounds.

Targets count new arrivals only, not extensions, in-Canada applications, PGWPs or seasonal workers who leave the same year. The plan also commits to moving up to 33,000 work permit holders to permanent residence in 2026 and 2027.

1. 1

   Find out which permit you need

   Use IRCC's online questions to check whether you need a permit, which type and any special instructions.

2. 2

   Your employer completes its steps

   For an LMIA job, the employer gets the LMIA (and a CAQ in Quebec). For an LMIA-exempt job, it submits an offer of employment and pays $230. Skip this for an open work permit.

3. 3

   Gather documents and apply online

   You need a valid passport (the permit cannot outlast it), proof of qualifications and funds, and your checklist documents. Pay the fees and give biometrics if required; children under 14 and people over 79 are exempt.

4. 4

   Get a decision and start work

   From outside Canada, approval brings a port of entry letter of introduction and the border officer issues the permit. Inside Canada, IRCC mails the permit to your Canadian address.

5. 5

   Extend before it expires

   Apply at least 30 days before expiry. For an LMIA job, wait for the new LMIA unless your permit expires within 2 weeks and the employer has applied.

Employers cannot recover the LMIA fee or recruitment fees from the worker. The open work permit for vulnerable workers has no fee. Live IRCC work permit times and ESDC's average LMIA times (in business days, not counting advertising) appear below.

• The officer is not satisfied you will leave at the end of your authorized stay (IRPR section 200(1)(b)). Dual intent is allowed (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act section 22(2)), but the officer must still be satisfied on this point.
• The job offer is not found genuine (IRPR section 200(5)): the officer looks at whether the employer actively runs the business, needs the position, can meet the offer's terms and has complied with employment laws.
• You cannot show you can do the job (IRPR section 200(3)(a)), for example missing education, experience, licences or language ability.
• Your application does not match the LMIA or offer of employment. Employer, occupation, wage and location must match the decision letter and Annex A; changes need an LMIA modification.
• You worked or studied without authorization, or broke a permit condition, in the last 6 months (IRPR section 200(3)(e)).
• Inadmissibility for criminality, security, medical reasons or misrepresentation, or an ineligible employer.
• Spousal permits: the principal's occupation or remaining permit time does not qualify, or the relationship is not shown to be genuine.
• PGWPs: language results below the required level, an ineligible field of study, or applying after the 180 days.

The refusal letter lists the reasons. Since July 29, 2025, IRCC also sends an officer decision note with most work permit and work permit extension refusals, though parts may be removed.

• Follow every condition on your permit, and get a social insurance number (SIN).
• Maintained status: if IRCC receives your extension before your permit expires (online, before midnight Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, on the expiry day), you can keep working under the same conditions until a decision. You cannot renew a provincial driver's licence or health card, or get or update a SIN, during this time.
• Changing jobs on an employer-specific permit needs a new permit. After applying, you can ask IRCC to let you start the new job while it processes; it aims to reply in 10 to 15 days.
• If your status expires, you may apply to restore it within 90 days. You normally cannot work until it is restored.
• Canadian work experience can lead to permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class or a provincial nominee program. Since November 3, 2026, Express Entry job offers need no LMIA, and an LMIA adds no points.