The list of people who can apply for a work permit from inside Canada instead of going home first. Current work permit holders, people working permit-free who are not business visitors, study permit holders, holders of a temporary resident permit good for six months or more, family members of any of those, and people in the specific situations in 206 and 207. Also people whose application was approved in writing abroad but who have not been issued the permit yet. If you are not on this list, you apply from outside.
199 A foreign national may apply for a work permit after entering Canada if they (a)hold a work permit; (b)are working in Canada under the authority of section 186 and are not a business visitor within the meaning of section 187; (c)hold a study permit; (d)hold a temporary resident permit issued under subsection 24(1) of the Act that is valid for at least six months; (e)are a family member of a person described in any of paragraphs (a) to (d); (f)are in a situation described in section 206 or 207; (g)applied for a work permit before entering Canada and the application was approved in writing but they have not been issued the permit; (h)are applying as a trader or investor, intra-company transferee or professional, as described in Section B, C or D of Annex 1603 of the Agreement, within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, and their country of citizenship — being a country party to that Agreement — grants to Canadian citizens who submit a similar application within that country treatment equivalent to that accorded by Canada to citizens of that country who submit an application within Canada, including treatment in respect of an authorization for multiple entries based on a single application; or (i)hold a written statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade stating that it has no objection to the foreign national working at a foreign mission in Canada.