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Canada work permits: types, requirements and application steps

Understand employer-specific and open work permits, how LMIA and LMIA-exempt jobs differ, where to apply, which documents to prepare and how to protect your status and rights.

Last reviewed against IRCC sources: 2 September 2026

Work permits at a glance

Most foreign nationals need authorization to work in Canada. A work permit is temporary immigration authorization, not permanent residence and not a promise that a permanent pathway will follow. Some narrowly defined activities are work-permit exempt, but an exemption must match the exact activity and circumstances.

Main permit typesEmployer-specific and open
Job offerUsually required for employer-specific permits
Open permitsOnly available in defined situations
Important distinction: a job offer, LMIA, offer-of-employment number or approval letter is not the same as permission to work. You may work only when Canadian law authorizes it and you respect every condition on your permit.

First determine whether you need a work permit

Most paid employment requires a permit, even when the employer is outside Canada. Limited exemptions exist for activities such as certain business visitors, public speakers, performing artists, foreign representatives, emergency-service providers and qualifying short-term researchers or highly skilled workers.

Do not rely on a job title alone. Each exemption has its own conditions, time limits and evidence requirements. You may also still need a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization to travel to Canada even when the activity itself is permit-exempt.

Employer-specific versus open work permits

You cannot simply choose the more convenient permit. Your situation and the immigration program determine which type may be available.

QuestionEmployer-specific permitOpen work permit
Is a job offer needed?Yes, in most cases.Normally no, but you must qualify under a specific open-permit category.
Where can you work?Only under the employer, occupation and location conditions printed on the permit.Usually for most eligible employers, subject to any occupation or location restrictions.
Is an LMIA needed?Sometimes. Other employer-specific permits are LMIA-exempt.No LMIA or employer offer submission is normally required.
Can you change employers?You generally need a new permit or specific authorization before starting the new job.Usually yes while the permit remains valid, unless conditions limit it.
Who may qualify?Workers with a qualifying employer and the correct LMIA or exemption process.Only defined groups such as some graduates, spouses, youth, PR applicants or vulnerable workers.

Employer-specific permits: LMIA or LMIA-exempt?

An employer-specific work permit is tied to the conditions printed on the document. Before you apply, the employer must normally complete one of two processes.

LMIA-required job

Employment and Social Development Canada assesses whether hiring the foreign worker may affect Canada’s labour market. If the employer receives a positive LMIA, you generally use its number, the job offer and the employment contract in your permit application.

LMIA-exempt job

The exemption may come from an international agreement, Canadian interests, Francophone Mobility, an intra-company transfer or another category. The employer normally submits the offer in the Employer Portal and gives you an offer-of-employment number.

LMIA-exempt does not mean work-permit exempt. You still need to qualify for the exemption category and receive the required work authorization.

Who may qualify for an open work permit?

Open work permits are available only under specific programs. Examples can include certain post-graduation work permit applicants, eligible International Experience Canada Working Holiday participants, some spouses or family members, certain permanent-residence applicants, sponsored family members, refugees or protected persons and workers experiencing or at risk of abuse.

Eligibility for family open work permits has changed several times. It depends on the principal applicant’s status, program, occupation, permit validity, relationship and other conditions. Check the current family-member tool instead of assuming that every spouse or child can work.

Open does not always mean unrestricted: a permit can include medical, occupation or geographic conditions. Read the document before starting work.

Where should you apply?

From outside Canada

This is the standard route for many applicants. Apply online, follow any program-specific instructions and use the personalized document checklist generated in your IRCC account.

From inside Canada

Only people in eligible situations may submit an initial or new work-permit application from inside Canada. Being present as a visitor does not automatically make you eligible.

At a port of entry

Only eligible visa-exempt travellers and certain other applicants can apply at a port of entry. IRCC recommends applying before travel, and most people already in Canada can no longer use border re-entry to obtain immigration services.

Extension or change

Apply from inside Canada before the current permit expires when extending or changing conditions. Changing employers on an employer-specific permit normally requires a new permit or separate authorization.

Documents to plan for

Your IRCC checklist controls. Depending on the route and country of application, you may need:

  • A valid passport or travel document
  • Digital photographs meeting the specifications
  • Job offer letter and signed employment contract
  • Positive LMIA and LMIA number, if required
  • Offer-of-employment number for an LMIA-exempt job
  • Proof that you qualify for the LMIA exemption
  • Education, licence and work-experience evidence
  • Evidence of funds and temporary-residence intent
  • Marriage, partnership or family documents, if relevant
  • Police certificates, medical results or biometrics, if requested
  • Quebec authorization where the specific job requires it
  • Country-specific visa-office documents

Names, dates, duties, wages and job locations should be consistent across the contract, employer submission, LMIA and application. Explain any discrepancy rather than ignoring it.

Medical exams and biometrics

A medical exam may be required because of the job, intended length of stay or recent residence history. Public-health-sensitive work—including health services, child care and primary or secondary education—commonly requires a satisfactory medical assessment. Certain agricultural workers may also need one.

Work-permit applicants generally provide fingerprints and a photo unless exempt. Temporary-resident biometrics may remain valid for multiple applications, but their expiry can limit how long a permit is issued. Follow the biometric instruction letter for the current application.

A practical application sequence

  1. Identify the exact permit categoryConfirm whether the work needs a permit and whether the route is employer-specific, open or exempt.
  2. Confirm applicant and employer eligibilityCheck the program rules, job duties, qualifications, status, admissibility and any special instructions.
  3. Complete the employer stepObtain the positive LMIA or the LMIA-exempt offer-of-employment number when required.
  4. Build the personalized checklistAnswer the IRCC account questions accurately and gather every required form and supporting document.
  5. Submit a complete applicationUpload readable documents, pay the current official fees and complete biometrics or a medical exam when instructed.
  6. Wait for the decision before workingDo not start because an application was submitted unless a specific rule authorizes you to work.
  7. Review the approval and travel documentsAn approval letter issued outside Canada is not the physical work permit. The permit is normally printed after the border examination.
  8. Inspect the permit immediatelyCheck the employer, occupation, location, expiry and medical conditions before leaving the port of entry or starting work.

After approval and arrival

A work permit does not by itself guarantee admission to Canada and is not a travel document. Depending on nationality, you may also need a valid visitor visa or eTA. At the border, an officer makes the final decision about admission and issues the physical permit when the requirements are met.

After arrival, apply for a Social Insurance Number, arrange appropriate health coverage and keep copies of your permit, contract and employer documents. Follow every condition on the permit and apply early if you need to extend it.

Extending, changing jobs and maintained status

IRCC recommends applying to extend or change conditions before the current permit expires. If a qualifying extension is submitted on time and you remain in Canada, you may have maintained status while a decision is pending.

Maintained status normally lets you continue only under the original conditions. For an employer-specific permit, that means the same employer, job and work location. If you applied to change employers, you cannot ordinarily start the new job until the new permit is approved unless IRCC grants separate authorization.

If your status expires before you apply, you must stop working. Restoration may be possible in limited circumstances and within the applicable deadline, but restoration is not permission to keep working while you wait.

Worker rights and job-offer safety

Temporary foreign workers are protected by Canadian labour laws. Employers must pay for work, provide a safe workplace, respect the employment terms and cannot take a worker’s passport or work permit. Employers and recruiters acting for them must not pass prohibited recruitment fees to the worker.

Warning signs: guaranteed approval, payment requested for an LMIA or job offer, pressure to transfer money quickly, a contract that conflicts with the advertised job, communication only through private messaging, or an employer that appears on the federal non-compliant list.

Verify the business independently, keep written records and report suspected fraud or abuse through the official Canadian channels. A worker experiencing or at risk of abuse may be able to apply for a special open work permit.

Can a work permit lead to permanent residence?

Canadian work experience, a qualifying job offer or a provincial connection may later support pathways such as Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program, Atlantic or community immigration. But a work permit does not guarantee permanent residence, and the rules for counting work or job offers differ by program.

Review the Express Entry guide and Provincial Nominee Programs guide separately before building a long-term plan.

Common work-permit mistakes

  • Assuming every job offer needs an LMIA—or that every job offer is LMIA-exempt.
  • Paying someone for a guaranteed LMIA, permit or employer.
  • Submitting before the employer completes the required LMIA or Employer Portal step.
  • Using the job title without matching the actual duties and qualifications.
  • Applying from inside Canada or at the border without being eligible to do so.
  • Starting work after applying but before receiving authorization.
  • Ignoring medical restrictions for health, child-care, school or agricultural work.
  • Letting a passport or biometrics expiry shorten the expected permit period.
  • Changing an employer, job or location without the required new authorization.
  • Assuming a spouse automatically qualifies for an open work permit.

Canada work-permit questions

Can I apply without a job offer?

Only if you qualify for a specific open work permit or a work-permit exemption. Most employer-specific applications require a qualifying offer and an employer-completed step.

Does every employer need an LMIA?

No. Some jobs are LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program or another category. LMIA-exempt usually still requires an employer-specific work permit and an offer-of-employment number.

Can I work while my first permit application is processing?

Usually not. Maintained-status rules mainly protect eligible in-Canada applicants who apply before their current authorization expires. Never assume an application receipt authorizes employment.

Can I change employers?

Open-permit holders can usually change employers within their permit conditions. Employer-specific permit holders normally need a new permit or IRCC authorization before starting the new job.

Can my spouse work in Canada?

Possibly, but family open-work-permit eligibility depends on current rules for the principal worker or student, the occupation or program, permit validity and the relationship. Verify the family-member requirements directly.

Does BeforeImmigration find jobs or submit applications?

No. We provide general educational research guidance. Use official job and immigration systems or consult an authorized Canadian immigration professional.

Official sources

These Government of Canada pages were used to review this guide. Open them for the current rules, fees, forms and instructions.

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Editorial notice: BeforeImmigration provides general educational information, not legal advice, representation, recruitment or an eligibility decision. Work-permit programs and public policies change. Verify every requirement with IRCC or consult an authorized Canadian immigration professional.