Getting A Work Visa in Canada

Getting A Work Visa in Canada

Are you interested in coming to Canada temporarily on a work visa? Then this post is for you.

The information here covers:

• Available Canadian work visas for foreigners
• Requirements for temporary work visas in Canada
• Things to confirm before paying anyone for a Canadian temporary work visa.
• Cost of a work visa in Canada

Are there temporary work visas to only come to Canada to work for some time? YES!

Canada has more than 100 immigration programs, but as with many other popular Canadian visas (study, Express Entry, etc), there are requirements to be met for a work visa.

The categories of ‘temporary work visas’ that you may be eligible for in Canada as a foreigner are:

• Open work permits
• Temporary Foreign Worker Program
• Post Graduation Work Permit
• Co-op work permit
• International Experience Canada Program

These work visa categories also have sub-categories and specific application requirements. There are also general conditions to meet in each category. This post will provide you with direct links to the Government of Canada website where you can read more.

As I have said a lot of times, three (3) boxes to tick when deciding to immigrate to Canada are: Interest, Eligibility, and Financial Ability. So, before proceeding with any of the available work visa categories, you need to first confirm which one you are eligible for, and have the financial capacity to pursue.

– Open Work Permits

As implied, this is open and does not require a job offer in Canada before you can apply.

However, only restricted categories of applicants are eligible for an open work permit in Canada. You may be eligible if you are;

• A spouse of a temporary resident (i.e international student/worker). Details here
• Or a Bridging Open Work Permit if you have applied for Permanent Residence in Canada while on a work permit, and still awaiting a decision on the PR application when your work permit is about to expire. Details here

The two sets of people above are the only people eligible for an open work permit in Canada.

– Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)

This appears to be the most popular work visa in Canada. It allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill temporary labor and skill shortages when qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents are not available for the job.

As stated, the essence of the TFWP is to fill skill shortages. It also has different sub-categories, details are available here.

The primary requirement for the TFWP is that you must first have a job offer, and the employer must also obtain what is called the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Getting a job offer first in Canada to be eligible for a work visa is where the challenge is for many interested applicants. Also, before applying for a work visa, the employer who has offered the applicant a job must also be willing to process the LMIA. It is the job of the employer to get you this LMIA and pay for it by themselves.

Also, you cannot pay an employer to give you a job in Canada, that is against the law. Please take note of this!

The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is what will show that there is a need for a foreign worker OUTSIDE Canada to fill the job. It will show that no Canadian worker is available to do the job after the job has been advertised for some time. Details available here

If you and the employer then scale this hurdle, the employer wishing to hire you as a temporary foreign worker will then pay a processing fee of $1,000 CAD for the LMIA request, and a “privilege fee” of $100 CAD. Once you have the LMIA, you can then apply for a work visa.

It is important to note that, it is the employer that must pay the $1,100 for the LMIA. An employer can also not charge the applicant for a job offer. It is against the law. So, if someone is telling you (as the employee) to bring money for a job offer and LMIA in Canada, I can tell you that it is 100% a scam.

Many people who get the work visa through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) get it in highly specialized professions (such as health, tech, agriculture, trades profession, blue-collar jobs, etc), or occupations with high labor shortages in Canada.

Look very well before you leap!

The popular sub-categories of visas under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are:

• In-home caregivers – Details here
• Global Talent Stream (for Tech Workers) – Details here
• Foreign Agricultural Worker – Details here
• Academic Worker Category – Details here

Click the links above to read more about the sub-programs.

……To be Continued in our next publish. Need help? Do not hesitate to reach out to us Today