Employer-specific and open work permits are not interchangeable.
| Authorization | What it permits | What must exist first |
|---|---|---|
| Employer-specific work permit | Work for the named employer, normally in the stated occupation, location and period | Job offer plus a positive LMIA, or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment number and the correct exemption |
| Open work permit | Work for most eligible employers; medical, occupation or location restrictions may still apply | Eligibility under a specific category—such as certain graduates, spouses, PR applicants or vulnerable workers |
| Work-permit exemption | Only the exact exempt activity and duration | The person and actual duties must meet the exemption; a TRV or eTA may still be required to travel |
Every worker must qualify for the permit and for temporary residence.
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Identify the exact work-permit category and prove the applicant has the education, experience, language ability and professional licence needed for the real job duties.
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Show a valid passport, truthful immigration and family history, sufficient funds where relevant, and an intention to leave Canada when authorized stay ends. A future PR plan can coexist with a credible temporary plan under dual intent.
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Address prior refusals, unauthorized work or study, loss of status, removal history, criminality, security, medical issues and any possible misrepresentation directly.
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Complete an immigration medical when required, especially for health care, child care, primary or secondary education, agriculture from designated countries, or extended residence in a designated country.
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A spouse or child does not automatically receive a work permit. Each family member needs their own application and must meet the current family-member rules.
First determine whether the job is LMIA-required, LMIA-exempt or open-permit work.
Job title alone never proves the route. NOC/TEER, duties, wage, location, employer, duration and exemption code must tell one consistent story.
| Route | Employer step | Worker receives |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program (LMIA) | Employer applies to ESDC, meets recruitment, wage, business and program rules, and obtains a positive LMIA | LMIA number/copy, signed offer and employment contract for the work-permit application |
| International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt) | Employer normally submits the offer and pays the employer-compliance fee through the Employer Portal before the worker applies | Offer-of-employment number, usually beginning with A followed by 7 digits, plus contract and proof of the exemption |
| Open work permit | No employer filing is normally required before the permit application | Proof that the applicant personally fits the open-permit category |
| Work without a permit | No LMIA or permit only if a precise statutory exemption covers the work | Evidence of the exemption and the correct travel document; border admission is still required |
LMIA-based permits fall under distinct Temporary Foreign Worker Program streams.
A positive LMIA supports the permit; it does not guarantee approval. The worker still must prove qualifications, admissibility and temporary-residence requirements.
| TFWP route | Typical use | Important employer requirement |
|---|---|---|
| High-wage stream | Job at or above the provincial/territorial wage threshold | Recruitment, prevailing wage and normally a transition plan |
| Low-wage stream | Job below the applicable wage threshold | Cap, recruitment, prevailing wage and additional transport, housing or insurance duties where applicable |
| Global Talent Stream | Eligible innovative employers or listed in-demand occupations | Category A referral or Category B occupation plus a Labour Market Benefits Plan; qualifying workers may receive two-week work-permit processing |
| Primary agriculture / SAWP | Eligible farm, commodity and worker-country situations | Stream-specific housing, transport, contract and recruitment rules |
| In-home caregiver hiring | Home child-care or home-support employment where the current LMIA route is available | Employer and job must meet the caregiver-specific wage, duties and household/business requirements |
| Recognized Employer Pilot | Only employers already recognized before intake closed September 16, 2024 | Simplified LMIA access continues for enrolled employers until the pilot concludes December 31, 2026; no new REP enrolment |
LMIA-exempt employer-specific permits use the International Mobility Program.
Most LMIA-exempt employer-specific cases still require the employer to submit an offer and pay the CAN$230 compliance fee before the worker applies. An LMIA exemption is not an exemption from a work permit.
Free trade agreements
CUSMA and other agreements can cover qualifying professionals, traders, investors and intra-company transferees; nationality, occupation, credentials and employer relationship must match the agreement.
Francophone Mobility
A French-speaking worker destined outside Québec may qualify with a genuine offer under the current language, occupation and Employer Portal rules.
Significant benefit
Some entrepreneurs, self-employed workers, researchers, experts and cultural or economic contributors may qualify only when the evidence establishes significant benefit and the precise exemption code.
Intra-company transfer
The foreign and Canadian businesses must have a qualifying relationship and the worker must meet executive, senior-manager or specialized-knowledge rules.
IEC employer-specific categories
Young Professionals and International Co-op normally name the employer; Working Holiday is generally open. Country, age, quota and invitation rules control eligibility.
TV, film, performing arts and reciprocal work
Production workers, performers, athletes, academics, charitable/religious workers and reciprocal-employment cases each have narrow, activity-specific instructions.
Open work permits exist only for listed people and situations.
Post-graduation
PGWP for eligible graduates, subject to current DLI, program, language, field-of-study, study-status and filing rules.
Spouses and family
Some spouses/common-law partners of workers or students, sponsored spouses and certain accompanying family members qualify; relationship, principal applicant, occupation/program and permit-validity rules differ.
PR-related
A bridging open work permit or another category-specific permit may be available only after the required PR application stage and while the applicant meets status and residence conditions.
Protection and vulnerability
Eligible refugee claimants, protected persons, vulnerable workers and people covered by crisis or humanitarian measures may have a tailored open-permit route.
Provincial or special measures
Some prospective provincial nominees, Québec investors, eligible Indigenous persons and named public-policy groups may qualify under time-limited instructions.
Restrictions remain
An open permit can restrict province, occupation or work involving health care, children or schools. It does not permit work for an ineligible or non-compliant employer.
Work-permit exemptions are narrow and depend on the actual activity.
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Business visitors must keep their main business and source of remuneration outside Canada and must not enter the Canadian labour market. Meetings, conferences and after-sales warranty service can qualify only within exact limits.
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Certain foreign representatives, military personnel, athletes and team staff, news reporters and media crews, performing artists, guest speakers, judges, referees, aviation personnel and emergency-service providers may be exempt for specified work.
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Short-term highly skilled work and short-term research exemptions have strict occupation, time and break-between-use conditions; they are not general digital-nomad or remote-work permits.
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A work-permit exemption does not remove entry, TRV/eTA, medical, criminal or border-document requirements.
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If the planned duties move beyond the exemption—hands-on service, productive labour for a Canadian entity, a longer assignment or a different employer—obtain the proper permit before the work starts.
Temporary work in Québec can involve both federal and provincial steps.
LMIA and CAQ
Most LMIA-based jobs lasting more than 30 days need both a positive federal LMIA and Québec Acceptance Certificate before the work-permit filing, unless an exemption applies.
Facilitated LMIA
Québec maintains a facilitated occupations process, but the employer must still meet the current provincial/federal stream, wage and submission rules.
CSQ holders
Québec-selected workers may have a bridging or employer-specific LMIA-exempt option depending on whether they are in Québec, have filed PR, hold a valid CSQ and meet the current A73/A75/A76 instructions.
IMP+ limitation
Québec stopped issuing new IMP+ invitation letters. IRCC processes only qualifying people who received the required invitation before January 16, 2025; other CSQ work-permit options must be assessed.
2026 PSTQ measure
Certain temporary workers who applied for permanent selection under PSTQ may seek a 12-month employer-specific LMIA/CAQ-exempt extension by December 31, 2026 if every public-policy condition is met.
Québec investors
An eligible investor with a valid Québec Notice of Intent to Select may request an open permit to work only in Québec and may later qualify for one extension under the current CSQ rules.
Apply from the place authorized by the rules.
| Place | When it may be available | Key caution |
|---|---|---|
| Outside Canada | The normal route for someone who needs authorization before travelling | Approval produces a port-of-entry letter—not the physical permit. The officer issues the permit after examination on arrival. |
| Inside Canada | Extensions and changes, plus only the categories IRCC specifically allows to make an initial in-Canada application | Being physically in Canada as a visitor does not generally create eligibility to apply inside Canada. |
| Port of entry | Certain visa-exempt applicants who meet all POE conditions and carry the LMIA or offer number where required | IRCC recommends applying before travel. Visa-required travellers, most non-US IEC applicants, SAWP workers and PGWP applicants cannot use this route. |
| Québec job | Federal work-permit rules plus Québec requirements where applicable | An LMIA-based paid job over 30 days commonly also needs a CAQ unless an exemption applies. |
An initial work-permit application inside Canada is limited to listed groups.
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Examples include people with a valid work or study permit and some family members of permit holders; PGWP-eligible graduates whose study permit is still valid; and certain PR applicants or their family members.
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Convention refugees, protected persons, eligible refugee claimants, temporary resident permit holders whose permit is valid for at least 6 months, and certain CUSMA applicants may have an in-Canada route.
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A person legally working without a permit may apply inside Canada when a permit becomes required, but a business visitor does not qualify through that rule.
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A visitor who does not fit a current public policy or listed category normally must use the outside-Canada process. Never rely on an expired facilitation policy.
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Maintained status helps only after an eligible extension/change application is filed before expiry; it does not cure an application that was never eligible to be made inside Canada.
Build the document package around the permit route and real job.
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Outside-Canada files normally use IMM 1295; in-Canada extension/change files use IMM 5710. Follow the personalized checklist and local visa-office instructions rather than an old saved list.
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Provide passport pages, digital photo, civil/family records, proof of current status, translations, biometrics and medical evidence where required.
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For employer-specific work, include the signed job offer/contract, employer letter, detailed duties, pay and location, résumé, education, licence or certification, and proof of relevant past work such as references and pay records.
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For LMIA work, include the positive LMIA/file number and documents matching its terms. For most paid Québec jobs over 30 days, include the CAQ unless exempt.
- 05
For LMIA-exempt work, include the Employer Portal offer number and documents proving the exemption. For an open permit, prove the applicant’s exact open-permit category.
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Explain discrepancies, prior refusals, status gaps and unusual employer/family relationships. Upload clear certified translations and translator affidavits where required.
Application, biometrics, decision and arrival are separate steps.
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Apply online unless an authorized paper or accessibility exception applies; answer every question, pay the correct fees and retain the submission confirmation.
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Complete biometrics and medical requests promptly and monitor the account for procedural-fairness or additional-document letters.
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Outside approval gives a port-of-entry letter of introduction. Carry the passport, approval letter, job documents and admissibility evidence; CBSA makes the final entry decision and prints the permit.
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Read the printed permit before leaving the counter. Check employer, occupation, location, validity and medical restrictions and ask immediately if a clerical error appears.
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In-Canada applicants may begin under the new conditions when the online approval note authorizes it; they do not need to wait for the mailed paper permit unless IRCC says otherwise.
Special work-permit routes have their own eligibility instructions.
Post-graduation work permit
For eligible graduates of eligible DLI programs; language, field-of-study, full-time study, completion date and 180-day filing rules can apply.
Students
On- or off-campus work and mandatory placements can be authorized by study-permit conditions; working outside those conditions is unauthorized.
International Experience Canada
Country/territory, age, pool, invitation, quota, insurance and police-certificate rules apply; some categories are open and others employer-specific.
Waiting for permanent residence
Bridging or category-specific open permits exist only for listed PR applicants and stages; an AOR alone is not a universal work permit.
Family members
Some spouses/common-law partners and dependent children of workers or students may qualify under current rules, but occupation, permit duration, program and relationship conditions apply.
Vulnerable workers
A worker in Canada on an employer-specific permit who is experiencing or at risk of workplace abuse may seek a special open permit.
Pay the fee that matches the application.
Fees can change. A temporary resident visa, medical exam, police certificate, translation or Québec process may add separate costs.
| Item | Current federal fee | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit or extension | CAN$155 per person | Pay for each worker application |
| Open work-permit holder fee | CAN$100 in addition to the permit fee | Applies when requesting an open permit |
| Restore worker status and obtain a new work permit | CAN$401.25 | Includes the current restoration fee and work-permit fee; an open-permit fee may also apply |
| Biometrics | CAN$85 individual / up to CAN$170 eligible family | Only when biometrics are required |
| Employer compliance | CAN$230 | Normally paid by the employer for an LMIA-exempt employer-specific offer; the worker must not be charged this fee |
Apply to extend or change conditions before the current permit expires.
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IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before expiry. The legal filing deadline is before the permit expires; an online application must be received before midnight UTC on the expiry date.
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A permit cannot normally be extended beyond passport validity. Renew the passport early if it would shorten the requested permit.
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Use an extension/change application when the current permit will expire, the employer/job/pay/duties/location changes, or a medical restriction should be removed after a new medical exam.
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For LMIA-based work, the employer normally needs the positive LMIA before the worker files unless current IRCC instructions expressly allow another step.
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Upload the new employer documents, LMIA or offer number, explanation, passport and status proof. Pay both restoration and permit fees if status has already been lost.
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A permit extension does not extend the TRV in the passport. If travel is planned, assess the entry visa or eTA separately.
Maintained status can preserve work authorization—but only under exact conditions.
Temporary resident permit holders do not receive maintained status through the ordinary extension rule.
Filing requirement
Submit an eligible in-Canada extension/change application before the current permit expires and remain in Canada while IRCC processes it.
Employer-specific permit
Normally continue only for the same employer, occupation and location under the old permit conditions.
Open work permit
Normally continue open work under the old restrictions while the eligible open-permit extension remains pending.
WP-EXT proof
Most online applicants receive a WP-EXT letter. The printed 365-day date is evidence, not a refusal date; eligible work may continue beyond it while the application is still pending.
Paper proof
Keep the application copy, fee receipt and courier/delivery evidence if no automated letter is issued.
Wrong application
Applying for visitor status or a study permit permits work only until the existing work permit expires; it does not continue work afterward.
Services
A SIN may expire with the permit but can still be used for authorized maintained-status work. Updating the SIN, health card or driver’s licence often requires the new permit.
A new employer-specific permit is normally required before starting a new job.
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An employer-specific permit holder may continue only the old authorized job while a new application is pending. Filing the application alone does not authorize work for the new employer.
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After filing the new employer-specific permit application, an eligible worker in Canada may request interim work authorization through the IRCC web form using code PPCHANGEWORK2020.
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Include the application number, new employer details and exact prescribed request. Wait for IRCC’s authorization email—normally about 10 to 15 days according to IRCC—before starting the new work. The email is temporary authority, not the new permit.
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An open-permit holder may usually change eligible employers while the permit is valid, subject to every printed medical, occupation and location restriction.
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If employment ends on a closed permit, stop working for that employer. Finding a job or receiving an offer does not authorize the new work; obtain the new permit or interim authorization first.
If the permit expired without a timely application, stop working immediately.
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A person who loses worker status normally has 90 days from loss to request restoration and the new work permit, if all restoration conditions and the new permit requirements are met.
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Submit IMM 5710 online, select restoration as a worker, explain the loss of status, include the full new-permit package and pay restoration plus work-permit fees for each affected family member.
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Restoration is discretionary. The applicant may remain while the request is decided but normally cannot work until status and the work permit are approved.
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After 90 days, the ordinary rule is to leave Canada and apply from outside. Do not assume an old or group-specific public policy creates an exception.
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Disclose any unauthorized work completely. Continuing work after expiry can damage later temporary and permanent applications.
A work permit is not a travel document and renewal does not guarantee re-entry.
Entry document
Carry a valid TRV or eTA when one is required. Applying to extend a work permit does not automatically renew a TRV.
Border decision
A permit or approval letter does not guarantee admission; CBSA reassesses identity, admissibility, job and documents.
Leaving while renewal is pending
If the extension is still pending on return, the person may be admitted only as a visitor and cannot resume work until approval. Maintained-status work inside Canada is not portable across the border.
Approved while abroad
If the new permit is approved before return, the person may seek entry as a worker with the approval and job evidence, subject to border examination.
Plan conservatively
Do not travel on an assumption that pending status, an expired TRV or an employer letter will be accepted as work authorization.
After approval, protect status and keep a clean work record.
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Review and follow the employer, occupation, location, medical and expiry conditions printed on the permit.
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Apply for or update the Social Insurance Number and give the employer proof of authorization. A SIN is administrative evidence and never creates work authorization by itself.
- 03
Keep contracts, pay statements, T4s, Records of Employment, schedules and correspondence. These may support later extensions, employer complaints and PR applications.
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Plan extensions, family permits, licences, provincial health coverage and any PR pathway months before expiry.
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A permit may support Canadian experience but never guarantees permanent residence. Verify the NOC/TEER, authorized work, language and program rules separately.
Temporary foreign workers have enforceable workplace rights.
Pay and contract
The employer must pay the agreed lawful wage and, for employer-specific workers, provide a signed employment agreement matching the offer.
Safe workplace
Workers are protected by employment, health and safety laws and may seek emergency or worker-support services.
Documents and fees
An employer cannot take the passport or work permit, force unsafe work, threaten deportation, or recover prohibited recruitment or LMIA costs from the worker.
Abuse
Workers can report abuse. An eligible closed-permit holder experiencing or at risk of abuse may apply for a vulnerable-worker open permit.
Changing jobs
Rights against abuse do not by themselves authorize a new job; use the new-permit/interim-authorization process unless another legal authorization applies.
Canadian employers must choose the correct hiring process before the worker applies.
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Decide whether the job needs an LMIA, qualifies for an International Mobility Program exemption, or can lawfully be performed without a permit.
- 02
For an LMIA, follow the correct high-wage, low-wage, agricultural, caregiver or other stream, including recruitment, wage, housing/transport or transition-plan rules where applicable.
- 03
For most LMIA-exempt employer-specific permits, submit the offer and fee in the Employer Portal before the worker applies and give the worker the offer number and contract.
- 04
Pay the worker exactly as promised, keep records, cooperate with inspections and report material employment changes. Non-compliance can lead to penalties, bans and publication.
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Never promise guaranteed immigration status or ask the worker to repay employer-only government fees.
Business visitors and short-term activities must be separated from work.
Meetings and events
Meetings, conferences, conventions and trade fairs may fit business-visitor rules when the foreign business and remuneration remain outside Canada.
After-sales service
Installation supervision, repair or training under a qualifying foreign sale/warranty may be permitted; hands-on construction and general service contracts may not.
Film, media and speakers
Some news reporters, guest speakers, performing artists and production activity fit exemptions, while others require an LMIA-exempt or LMIA-based permit.
Athletes, clergy and academics
Exact roles and duration control. Coaches, team staff, referees, religious workers, researchers and visiting professors do not all share one exemption.
Digital work
Remote activity for a foreign employer can still raise visitor-status and Canadian-labour-market questions; describe the actual duties, clients and Canadian presence.
Employer compliance continues after the permit is issued.
TFWP
The employer must follow the LMIA, wage, occupation, location, recruitment and program-specific commitments.
IMP
For most employer-specific LMIA-exempt permits, the Employer Portal offer, exemption code, fee and signed contract must be completed before the worker applies.
Inspections
Employers must keep records, cooperate with inspections and justify changes. Violations can lead to administrative penalties, bans and publication.
Worker protection
Employers cannot recover prohibited recruitment or LMIA fees, take passports, threaten deportation or punish a worker for reporting abuse.
Change
A material change may require a new LMIA, portal offer or work permit. An amended contract alone does not amend immigration authorization.
Official sources & application
The practical answer is in this guide; use these links to verify live changes and apply officially.
Ghasedak explains the eligibility, evidence, process and important cautions in plain language. Because laws, forms, fees and filing methods can change, also check the live official instructions on the day you submit. This is general information, not individual legal advice.