How to Get a Work Permit in Canada
To work in Canada, most people need a work permit from IRCC. An employer-specific permit needs a job offer plus an LMIA or an LMIA exemption. An open permit lets you work for almost any employer, and only set groups qualify, such as recent graduates and some spouses. The fee is $155, or $255 for an open permit.
A Canadian work permit authorizes a foreign national to work in Canada for a specific employer and location (employer-specific) or for any employer in most occupations (open work permit). Work permits are governed by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Most foreign workers require either a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) confirming no Canadians were available, or they qualify for an LMIA exemption under an international agreement or domestic policy. Working in Canada without authorization is an offence under IRPA s.124.
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Find your NOC code, it's freeEmployer-Specific vs. Open Work Permits
Employer-Specific (Closed) Work Permits
The most common type of Canadian work permit ties the holder to a specific employer, a specific location, and often a specific occupation. The permit will show the employer name, address, and job title on its face. Changing employers requires applying for a new work permit, and you cannot start with the new employer until it is approved or IRCC authorizes you to work while it processes the application. Most employer-specific permits require either an LMIA or an LMIA exemption code under IRPR R204 or R205.
Open Work Permits
An open work permit allows the holder to work for any employer in Canada (with limited exceptions for certain occupations). The permit does not list an employer name. Open work permits are available in specific circumstances, they are not the default. Eligibility categories include:
- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders, graduates of eligible Canadian institutions
- Some spouses or common-law partners of foreign workers (depending on the worker's TEER level and the time left on their permit) or of international students (depending on the program)
- International Experience Canada (IEC) Working Holiday participants (Young Professionals and International Co-op permits are employer-specific)
- Refugee claimants and their dependants
- Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) holders awaiting PR decisions
- Destitute students and certain vulnerable foreign nationals
Working in Canada without authorization is an offence under IRPA s.124.
The LMIA Process
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) confirming that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market, i.e., no qualified Canadian or permanent resident was available for the position. The LMIA is applied for by the employer, not the worker.
The LMIA process involves:
- 01Employer conducts a genuine recruitment effort (Job Bank posting plus at least 2 other methods for most positions)
- 02Employer submits LMIA application to ESDC with recruitment evidence, business legitimacy documents, and wage information
- 03ESDC reviews the application; processing times vary by stream (confirm current processing on canada.ca)
- 04If approved, employer receives positive LMIA and worker applies for work permit
- 05LMIA processing fees: $1,000 CAD per position (waived for primary agriculture positions and for some families hiring an in-home caregiver)
High-wage vs. Low-wage streams: The wage threshold is the provincial or territorial median hourly wage plus 20%. Positions paying at or above it are processed under the High-Wage stream. Positions below it are Low-Wage stream with additional requirements and a cap on the proportion of low-wage TFWs an employer can employ.
LMIA-Exempt Categories
Many foreign workers qualify to work in Canada without an LMIA under IRPR R204 (international agreements and arrangements) or R205 (Canadian interests, such as significant benefit, reciprocal employment and public policy). Key exemptions include:
CUSMA/USMCA (formerly NAFTA)
Citizens of the United States and Mexico can get LMIA-exempt work permits under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. A defined list of professional categories is covered, including engineers, accountants, lawyers, scientists, and computer systems analysts (see the current list on canada.ca). A professional needs pre-arranged employment with a Canadian employer and proof of citizenship. A citizen who does not need a visitor visa, such as a US citizen, may apply at a Canadian port of entry; a citizen who needs a visitor visa applies before travelling. An officer decides at entry.
International Experience Canada (IEC)
IEC lets youth aged 18 to 35, or 18 to 30 for some countries, from countries and territories with a youth mobility agreement or arrangement with Canada work here without an LMIA (IRPR R204(d)). The three categories are Working Holiday (an open work permit, up to 12 months for most countries and up to 24 months for some), Young Professionals (employer-specific, in a job that counts toward your professional development), and International Co-op (employer-specific, for students registered at a post-secondary institution outside Canada who need a work placement to complete their studies). Candidates enter a pool and wait for an invitation to apply. IRCC has closed the pools for the 2026 IEC season. A new profile can be created when the pools reopen for the 2027 season.
Intra-Company Transfers
Executives, senior managers, and specialized knowledge employees of multinational companies can transfer to a Canadian affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company without an LMIA under IRPR R205(a). The Canadian and foreign entities must have a qualifying corporate relationship.
Significant Benefit (C10, C11)
Certain workers whose employment provides a significant social, cultural, or economic benefit to Canada may qualify for an LMIA exemption under IRPR R205(a). C10 is the general significant benefit code under R205(a). C11, also under R205(a), covers entrepreneurs and self-employed business owners. Researchers (C31) and visiting professors on academic exchange (C22) have codes of their own.
How the two routes differ for the employer. With an LMIA, the employer applies to ESDC, usually after advertising the job, and pays the $1,000 fee for each position; the worker then applies to IRCC with the LMIA number. With an LMIA exemption, the employer does not apply to ESDC. It submits the offer of employment through IRCC's Employer Portal and pays the $230 employer compliance fee, unless exempt. IRCC then gives the employer an offer of employment number, often called the A-number: it starts with the letter A and is followed by 7 numbers, and the worker needs it to apply. Either way, the employer pays its own fee and cannot recover it from the worker.
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Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
The Post-Graduation Work Permit is an open work permit available to graduates of eligible Canadian Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs). PGWP holders can work for almost any employer, and skilled work experience gained on the permit can count toward the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) in Express Entry.
- Program must be at least 8 months in duration at an eligible DLI
- PGWP duration generally matches the length of your study program, up to a maximum of 3 years. Since February 15, 2024, graduates of a master's degree program may be eligible for a 3-year PGWP even if the program was shorter than 2 years (confirm on canada.ca)
- Language requirement: for PGWP applications submitted on or after November 1, 2024, you must meet a minimum language level, generally CLB/NCLC 7 for university graduates and CLB/NCLC 5 for college graduates (verify the current language rules on canada.ca)
- Field-of-study requirement: graduates of every program other than a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree (including other university programs and college programs) whose study permit application was submitted on or after November 1, 2024 must have studied in an eligible field linked to long-term labour shortages. Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree graduates are exempt from the field-of-study rule (verify the current eligible-fields list on canada.ca)
- You generally must apply within 180 days of receiving written confirmation that you completed your program, and your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days
- A PGWP is issued once: you are not eligible if you already received one. If your passport expires before the full length you are eligible for, you can apply on paper to extend the PGWP after you get a new passport
- Programs taken online (especially those taken outside Canada) may affect eligibility
Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
A Bridging Open Work Permit allows temporary foreign workers with expiring work permits to continue working in Canada while their permanent residence application is being processed. To qualify:
- You must live in Canada (and intend to live outside Quebec) and hold a valid work permit, hold an expired one while you maintain your status as a worker, or be eligible to restore your status and get a work permit
- You must be the principal applicant on a PR application in an eligible program (Express Entry, PNP, etc.)
- Your complete PR application must have passed the completeness check (for a PNP application outside Express Entry, the eligibility assessment), and you must have your acknowledgement of receipt letter
Work Permit to Permanent Residence
Work permits are a key stepping stone to Canadian permanent residence. The most common pathways from work permit to PR include:
- Canadian Experience Class (CEC): 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada (NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3) within the last 3 years qualifies you for CEC in Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Worker (FSW), foreign skilled work experience combined with Canadian work can boost CRS scores
- Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), many provinces have streams specifically for workers in their province
- Atlantic Immigration Program, which needs a job offer from a designated employer in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador
- Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP), a pathway for rural communities: IRCC lists it as open and says it will close as of January 1, 2027, with a new permanent Rural Community Immigration Program to follow
Use the Pathway Explorer to browse the published criteria for each PR pathway.
Every guide on work permits
Part of: Working in Canada
Guides
- Canada Work Permit Without LMIA: LMIA-Exempt Pathways
- Francophone Mobility Work Permit: The Rules
- Open Work Permit: Who Qualifies
- LMIA Canada: Workers & Employers Guide
- How to Extend Your Work Permit in Canada
- Canada Working Holiday Visa 2026: IEC: Ages, Countries & How to Apply
- Spousal Open Work Permit: The 2025 Rules
- Open Work Permit Eligibility: Who Qualifies in Canada?
- Why Canada Work Permits Get Refused
- LMIA Process Explained: What Employers Need to Know
- CUSMA / USMCA Work Permit Canada: Guide for Americans and Mexicans
- Global Talent Stream: 2-Week Work Permits for Tech
- Canada Work Permit for IT & Tech Workers: 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Canada work permit take to process?
It depends on where you apply. IRCC's current estimate is 16 weeks for a work permit applied for inside Canada, and ~8 weeks (varies by country) from outside Canada. An extension from inside Canada takes 120 days. If your employer needs an LMIA first, ESDC's own processing time comes before all of this. Figures change weekly, so check them before you plan a start date.
Go deeper: Current IRCC processing times
How much does a Canada work permit cost?
The IRCC fee is $155 for an employer-specific work permit and $255 for an open work permit, which adds the $100 open work permit holder fee. Biometrics cost $85 where IRCC requires them. When a job needs an LMIA, the employer pays ESDC $1,000 per position. Confirm current fees on IRCC before you pay.
Go deeper: IRCC fee calculator
Who can get an open work permit in Canada?
Only people in set groups. The main ones are graduates on a post-graduation work permit, some spouses of workers and of students (depending on the worker's job level and time left on the permit, or the student's program), International Experience Canada Working Holiday participants, refugee claimants, and people waiting on permanent residence who hold a bridging open work permit. An open permit names no employer, with limited exceptions for certain occupations. Each group has its own conditions.
Go deeper: Open work permit eligibility
How do I extend my work permit in Canada?
Apply online from inside Canada before your current permit expires. If you do, you keep maintained status and can keep working under the same conditions while IRCC decides, as long as you stay in Canada. IRCC's current estimate for an extension is 120 days. Your new permit still needs a basis, such as a new LMIA, an exemption or an open permit category. The $155 fee covers extensions too.
Go deeper: Work permit extensions
Does my spouse get a work permit automatically when I get one?
No. Your spouse or common-law partner applies separately. Since January 21, 2025, a spousal open work permit is generally limited to partners of workers in TEER 0 or 1 jobs or a select list of TEER 2 or 3 jobs, and to partners of students in a master's program of 16 months or longer, a doctoral program or certain professional degree programs at a university. The worker's permit generally must be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse's application.
Go deeper: Spousal open work permits
Can I get a work permit in Canada as a visitor?
You cannot work on visitor status. A visitor needs a work permit before starting a job in Canada, unless the Regulations allow that work without a permit, and working without authorization is an offence under IRPA s.124. Some permits can be applied for from inside Canada, while others require an application from outside Canada through a visa office. Where you can apply depends on your status and the permit type, so confirm it on canada.ca.
Go deeper: Work and study rules for visitors
How do I get a work permit in Canada as a US citizen?
Many US citizens use CUSMA, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement. It covers a set list of professions, such as engineers, accountants, lawyers and scientists, with no LMIA. US citizens can generally apply for a CUSMA professional permit at a Canadian port of entry without applying first. Bring the job offer and proof of your qualifications. An officer decides at the border.
What is a C11 work permit?
C11 is an LMIA exemption code under IRPR R205(a), the significant benefit provision, for entrepreneurs and self-employed business owners. C10 is the general significant benefit code. For it, the officer should be reasonably convinced the work would bring positive effects to the broader community, region or country, beyond the applicant and the employer, and the benefit must be valid, reasonable and demonstrable. Researchers (C31) and visiting professors on academic exchange (C22) have codes of their own. Each code under IRPR R204 and R205 has its own test.
Go deeper: LMIA-exempt work permits
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The "Immigrating to Canada" volume of our deep-dive library explains Express Entry, the PNP, sponsorship, and permits from the published criteria, with citations. Education, not advice.
View the Library → Coming soonImportant: Based on publicly available IRPA, IRPR, and IRCC policy. Not legal advice. For complex cases, consult an authorized representative, generally a lawyer or paralegal in good standing with a provincial or territorial law society, a Quebec notary, or an immigration consultant in good standing with the CICC.
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