Foreign Workers
Canada has interesting job opportunities for foreign workers that are required to obtain work permit to be eligible for those. Fortunately, Canada offers various streams for those applicants including the options that are concluded to the permanent residency status or limited ones dedicated for just working in Canada as a visitor.
How to Work Temporarily in Canada?
1. Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
As CIC mentioned, "The Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) allows students who have graduated from eligible Canadian designated learning institutions (DLIs) to obtain an open work permit to gain valuable Canadian work experience. Skilled Canadian work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill type 0 or skill level A or B that is gained through the PGWPP helps graduates qualify for permanent residence in Canada through the Canadian experience class within Express Entry".
2. Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) is a program that allows individuals who are neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident to work in Canada in positions that didn’t fill by Canadian and having shortage. This program is now an option for a wide variety of high skilled and low skilled positions. To be eligible for the TFW program, you must: • Have a job offer from a Canadian employer. In most cases, the employer who has offered the position need to apply for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire a foreign worker. • Not be inadmissible to Canada for any reason such as: criminal, medical or financial. To work in Canada under this program, individuals must apply for a work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The work permit granted under this program will be only be valid for a set period of time (maximum 1 year) and will be tied to a specific employer. Because the work permit is tied to a specific employer, temporary foreign workers in Canada can only legally work for the employer named on their work permit and cannot switch employers once in Canada. The application for the work permit should be made once you have a job contract or employment offer from a Canadian employer and the LMIA obtained by your employer, unless your position is exempt from an LMIA. If your employer is based in Quebec, you will also need to obtain an additional document from the Quebec government before applying for your work permit. Interested applicants should note that a work permit through the TFW program does not entitle a person to permanent residency in Canada. Although it is possible to become a Canadian permanent resident after temporary foreign worker status expires through other immigration programs (such as the Canadian Experience Class or a provincial nomination program), foreign workers are expected to return to their home country after the expiration of their work permit.
- Specialized applications
- Express entry
- Global Talent Stream
- Academics
- Agriculture
- Caregivers
- Positions in Quebec
- General applications
- High and low wage stream
3. Business workers
The business visitor work permit exemption under paragraph 186(a) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) facilitates entry to Canada for foreign nationals who intend to engage in international business activities in Canada. These activities are considered to be work as per the definition in section R2, as the foreign national may receive wages or commission even though they are not directly entering the Canadian labor market. Section R187 defines the criteria for entry of business visitors. Note: Work experience obtained as a business visitor cannot be included in the calculation for the Canadian Experience Class. See Canadian Experience Class selection criteria - Qualifying work experience. Examples of activities in this category include attendance at business meetings trade conventions exhibitions (not selling to the public) procurement of Canadian goods and services activities of people providing after-sales services as part of a warranty or sales agreement foreign government officials not accredited to Canada certain foreign nationals in the commercial production industry, such as advertising, or in the film or recording industry, including those using studios (limited to small groups that are renting studios and not entering the labor market) Officers may refer to the quick reference guide to occupations to ascertain if applicants are exempt from requiring a work permit.
How to Become a Permanent Resident of Canada After Work Permit?
Express Entry
The Canadian Experience Class is for skilled workers who have Canadian work experience and want to become permanent residents.
Minimum Requirement
- have at least 1 year of skilled work experience in Canada, in the last 3 years before you apply—you can meet this in a few different ways:
- full-time at 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months = 1 year full-time (1,560 hours)
- equal amount in part-time work: for example 15 hours/week for 24 months = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
- You can work as many part-time jobs as you need to meet this requirement.
- full-time work at more than 1 job: 30 hours/week for 12 months at more than 1 job = 1 year full time (1,560 hours)
2. Have gained your work experience by working in Canada while under temporary resident status with authorization to work.
Skilled work experience means:
managerial jobs (skill level 0)
professional jobs (skill type A)
technical jobs and skilled trades (skill type B)
Your work experience can be in 1 or more NOC 0, A or B jobs.
Language ability
You must:
- Meet the minimum language level of:
- Canadian Language Benchmark 7 for NOC 0 or A jobs or
- Canadian Language Benchmark 5 for NOC B jobs
- take approved language tests for:
- writing
- reading
- listening
- speaking
- describe the test results in your Express Entry profile
Eligibility to apply as a Federal Skilled Worker (Express Entry)
IRCC use selection factor points to help assess your eligibility for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
IRCC will assess your selection factors and assign an overall score out of 100.
If you score 67 points or higher,
you may qualify for the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
If you meet the other requirements too, you can submit a profile to the Express Entry pool. Once you’re in the Express Entry pool, IRCC use a different system to rank your profile.
If you score lower than 67 points,
you won’t qualify for the program. You may be able to get a higher score by doing things like:
- improving your language skills
- completing another degree, diploma, or certificate
- receiving an offer of arranged employment in Canada
Six selection factors
- Language skills (maximum 28 points)
- Education (maximum 25 points)
- Work experience (maximum 15 points)
- Age (maximum 12 points)
- Arranged employment in Canada (maximum 10 points)
- Adaptability (maximum 10 points)
The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for skilled workers who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade.