Your job needs an LMIA
ESDC assesses the job offer before an officer can issue the permit. It looks at whether the offer is genuine and at its effect on Canada’s labour market.
IRPR s.203
Working in Canada
How to Work in Canada as a Foreigner
Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada, and most work permits need a job offer first. The employer either gets a Labour Market Impact Assessment from ESDC or files an offer that is exempt from one. Open work permits go to set groups, such as recent graduates. An IRCC officer decides each application.
Checked against official sources:
$155
IRCC’s fee for an employer-specific work permit
$255
IRCC’s fee for an open work permit
$1,000
ESDC’s LMIA fee for each position, paid by the employer
about 8 weeks
Median of IRCC’s country waits for a work permit applied for outside Canada
The fees were checked against IRCC and ESDC on November 11, 2026, and the wait against IRCC’s tool on November 11, 2026. See every fee and the wait for each country.
Which case is yours?
Each card states one rule and opens the page that explains it.
Your job is exempt from the LMIA
Work under an international agreement, such as CUSMA, needs no LMIA. The same holds for work that serves Canadian interests, such as an intra-company transfer.
IRPR s.204, s.205
Your group can get an open permit
An open work permit lets its holder work for most employers without a job offer. IRCC issues it to set groups, such as eligible graduates and some spouses of workers and students.
IRPR s.200(1)(c)
You want a working holiday
International Experience Canada takes people aged 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries, from countries with a youth mobility agreement. Its Working Holiday category gives an open permit.
IRPR s.204(d)
Your work permit is ending
A worker can apply to renew before the permit expires. A worker who applied in time and stays in Canada may keep working under the same conditions until IRCC decides.
IRPR s.201, s.186(u)
You have no job offer yet
Most work permits start with an offer from a Canadian employer. A foreign national cannot work in Canada until a work permit or the Regulations authorize it.
IRPR s.196
What happens after a job offer?
These steps are for a permit tied to one employer, applied for outside Canada.
Name the job
Each job has a code and a TEER level in the National Occupational Classification.
The employer does its part
For a job that needs an LMIA, the employer applies to ESDC and pays the fee, usually after advertising the job. For an exempt job, the employer submits the offer through IRCC’s Employer Portal.
LMIA fee $1,000
The LMIA processThe worker gathers the documents
The application needs the job offer, proof of qualifications, and the LMIA number or the offer of employment number from the employer.
The worker applies to IRCC
The worker pays the work permit fee with the application. Biometrics cost $85 where IRCC requires them.
Permit fee $155
See every feeAn officer decides
An officer issues the permit if the application meets IRPR s.200. One test is that the worker will leave Canada at the end of the authorized stay.
about 8 weeks outside Canada
Check current waitsThe permit is issued at the border
A worker approved outside Canada shows the approval letter on arrival. A border services officer makes the final decision and prints the permit.
Which tool answers your next question?
- NOC FinderYour occupation code and TEER level
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
- Processing TimesIRCC wait times by program
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
Can work in Canada lead to permanent residence?
It can, through two classes in the Regulations.
- Canadian Experience Class
- The class needs at least one year of skilled work in Canada, in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3, within the three years before applying, and an approved language test. Self-employment and work during full-time study do not count. Only candidates IRCC invites through Express Entry can apply (IRPR s.87.1).
- Provincial nominees
- A province nominates a person under its agreement with Canada. The province judges the person’s ability to become economically established and the intent to live there (IRPR s.87).
Which guide covers your question?
Does the job need an LMIA?, guides: 5
Who can get an open permit?, guides: 4
Which program fits the work?, guides: 4
How do I find a job?, guides: 2
What if the permit ends or is refused?, guides: 5
What do people ask about working in Canada?
Do I need an LMIA to work in Canada?
For many permits tied to one employer, yes. The employer applies to ESDC and pays $1,000 for each position. Work listed in IRPR s.204 and s.205 is exempt, including CUSMA professionals, intra-company transfers and International Experience Canada. An open work permit needs no LMIA.
Can I get a job in Canada with visa sponsorship?
Canada has no sponsorship visa for workers. An employer supports a work permit in its place, with an LMIA from ESDC or an exempt offer filed through IRCC’s Employer Portal. The employer pays the LMIA fee and cannot recover it from the worker.
How do I work in Canada as a US citizen?
US and Mexican citizens can use CUSMA, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. It covers a set list of professions, such as engineers, accountants and lawyers, and needs no LMIA. A US citizen can apply for a work permit at a port of entry. An officer decides.
How long does a Canada work visa take to process?
A work permit applied for outside Canada takes about 8 weeks at the median of IRCC’s country estimates, and one country can run far longer. IRCC’s estimate for one applied for inside Canada is 16 weeks. An LMIA adds ESDC’s processing first.
How much does a Canada work visa cost?
IRCC charges $155 for a work permit tied to one employer and $255 for an open work permit. Biometrics cost $85 where required. The employer pays ESDC $1,000 for an LMIA, or IRCC $230 for an exempt offer. International Experience Canada adds a $184.75 participation fee.
Can I work in Canada on a working holiday?
Yes, if your country has a youth mobility agreement with Canada and you are within its age limit. The Working Holiday category of International Experience Canada gives an open work permit. IRCC opens pools each season and invites candidates in rounds.
Can I switch from a work permit to permanent residence?
Yes, through a permanent residence program. The Canadian Experience Class needs at least one year of skilled work in Canada within the three years before applying. Provinces can also nominate workers. A bridging open work permit lets some applicants keep working while IRCC decides.
What is a NOC code and why does it matter?
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada’s system for grouping jobs. A job’s NOC code sets its TEER level, from 0 to 5. The Canadian Experience Class counts work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. A spouse’s open work permit also depends on the worker’s TEER level.
Where is the full explanation?
This page is the short version. The textbook explains the subject in full.
The chapters on this subject
- Work Permits: the LMIA, the Exemptions, and Employer Compliance
- Study Permits and the Post-Graduation Work Permit
- Express Entry: The System as Published
- Provincial Nominee Programs: The Two-Stage Process
The textbook on this subject
Volume 2: Immigrating to Canada $79
The economic and family pathways to permanent residence, explained from the published criteria.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Where do these rules come from?
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
Sections 196 to 209 on work permits, and sections 87 and 87.1 on the two classes above.
laws-lois.justice.gc.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: open work permits for family members
Which family members of workers can apply.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: International Experience Canada
The age limits, the partner countries and the pools.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)IRCC: if your work permit expires
Maintained status while IRCC decides.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)ESDC: hiring with an LMIA
The LMIA streams, the fee and the employer’s duties.
canada.ca (opens in a new tab)