Types of Canadian work permits and how to get them
A Canadian work permit is issued to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents but want to work and earn an income in Canada. Permanent residents do not need a work permit to work.
There are two main types of work permit:
- Employer-specific work permit
- Open work permit
As the names suggest, an employer-specific work permit (sometimes called a closed work permit) is issued to people coming to Canada to work for a particular employer. For example, if a construction company gives you a job offer and you will work for them after you arrive, you will receive an employer-specific permit. The permit lists the employer’s name, how long you can work for them and the location of the job, such as the city and province. While you hold this permit, you cannot legally work for any other employer.
People with an open work permit can work for almost any employer anywhere in Canada, unless certain occupations are restricted on the permit. Open work permits are mainly issued to:
- international graduates who want to stay and work in Canada after their studies;
- spouses and common-law partners of international students in doctoral programs, master’s programs of 16 months or longer and certain professional programs;
- spouses and common-law partners of foreign workers in TEER 0 or 1 occupations (or certain TEER 2 and 3 occupations in sectors with labour shortages) who have at least 16 months left on their work permit;
- people in specific situations, such as refugees, permanent residence applicants, vulnerable workers, people with humanitarian grounds and some professional athletes.
Some people describe a third type, the Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), which is issued to international students after they finish their studies. In practice, it is a type of open work permit with specific conditions for graduates of Canadian institutions.
International students with a valid study permit can work for any employer without a separate work permit, but off-campus work is limited to 24 hours per week during academic sessions, with no hourly limit during scheduled breaks.
To work out which permit is right for you, ask yourself: will you work for a specific employer, will you start your own business, or will you come to Canada with someone else and look for work after you arrive?