Working in Canada requires a work permit, and the system divides into two streams. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program requires the employer to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The International Mobility Program covers permits that are LMIA-exempt.
Which stream applies determines almost everything — who does what, how long it takes and what it costs. Establishing that first saves months of pursuing the wrong route.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements at a Glance
The requirements common to work permit applications.
- A job offer from a Canadian employer, for employer-specific permits
- An LMIA obtained by the employer, where the route requires one
- Proof that you meet the requirements of the occupation — qualifications, experience and licensing
- A valid passport covering the intended period of work
- Proof of funds to support yourself and any accompanying family
- Biometrics, and a medical examination by a panel physician where required
- Police certificates from countries of residence, where required
- Proof that you will leave Canada at the end of the authorised stay
Passport and Travel Document Requirements
The LMIA is the employer’s burden and it is substantial. The employer must advertise, demonstrate that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available, pay a fee and satisfy the department. Many employers will not do it. If yours will not, the LMIA-based route is closed regardless of the offer.
LMIA-exempt routes are worth checking first. The International Mobility Program covers intra-company transfers, agreements between countries, and categories where Canada considers there to be a broader benefit. If one applies, it is faster and does not depend on the employer running a recruitment process.
Express Entry is a different thing from a work permit. It is the system managing applications for permanent residence under federal economic programmes, using a points-based ranking. You create a profile, receive a score, and may be invited to apply. It is not a work permit and does not authorise you to work in Canada while you wait.
Many people conflate the two. If your goal is permanent residence, Express Entry is the route; if your goal is to work now, a work permit is. They can interact, but they are separate applications.
Occupational licensing is provincial. Regulated professions — healthcare, engineering, teaching, law, trades — are licensed by provincial bodies, each with its own process, credential assessment and sometimes examinations. A work permit does not authorise you to practise a regulated profession. Start that process early; it is frequently the longest part.
Visa and Supporting Document Requirements
The evidence set for a work permit application.
- Valid passport, and previous passports
- Job offer letter and employment contract
- LMIA number, or evidence of the LMIA exemption relied on
- Completed online application and proof of fees
- Biometrics appointment confirmation
- Medical examination results from a panel physician, where required
- Police certificates from countries of residence, where required
- Educational credential assessment, where relevant to the occupation
- Proof of relevant work experience — reference letters describing duties
- Proof of funds for yourself and accompanying family
- Provincial licensing or registration evidence, where the occupation requires it
- For family: relationship documents and their own applications
Financial, Health and Entry Conditions
Confirm every figure and requirement before you apply. Visa fees, processing times, forms and document lists change frequently and differ between missions and application centres. Work only from the issuing authority’s own official website, and treat anything else — including this page — as orientation rather than as the requirement.
Only a panel physician may do the medical examination where one is required, from the list Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada publishes. A medical from any other doctor is not accepted.
Reference letters matter more than people expect. Canadian applications, particularly for permanent residence, assess work experience against occupation descriptions, and reference letters must describe actual duties, hours and dates rather than simply confirming employment. Request them in that form while you still have the relationship with the employer.
Provincial nominee programmes allow provinces to nominate candidates, and they have their own streams and criteria — sometimes with lower thresholds than the federal ones for occupations a province needs. Worth investigating alongside the federal routes.
Beware of immigration fraud. Canada is a target for fraudulent job offer and LMIA schemes, including fake offers sold to applicants. A genuine LMIA is obtained by the employer, and an employer does not charge a worker for it. Anyone selling a job offer or an LMIA is defrauding you, and using a fraudulent one has severe consequences including bans.
Only authorised representatives — licensed consultants or lawyers — may charge for immigration advice. Verify anyone charging you against the relevant regulator.
Accompanying family may in defined circumstances obtain open work permits or study permits. Confirm what applies to your permit type.
South African children travelling are subject to documentation requirements applied at departure, commonly including the unabridged birth certificate and, where a child travels without both parents, parental consent in the prescribed form. Confirm the current position with the Department of Home Affairs before travelling.
On agents and “guaranteed” visas. You do not need an agent, applications can be made directly, and official fees are published. Nobody can guarantee an outcome. Anyone offering to obtain a visa outside the normal process, or asking for payment to influence a decision, is not operating lawfully — and false documents result in refusal and, commonly, a multi-year ban.
How to Prepare or Apply
Establish first whether an LMIA-exempt route applies, then whether your employer will pursue an LMIA if not. Apply online through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada portal.
If permanent residence is the actual goal, create an Express Entry profile and assess your score, and look at provincial nominee streams in parallel. Start the credential assessment and any professional licensing early, because both take months.
- Establish whether an LMIA-exempt route applies before pursuing an LMIA
- Confirm the employer is willing to obtain an LMIA if one is required
- Understand that Express Entry is for permanent residence, not a work permit
- Start provincial professional licensing early — it is often the longest step
- Request reference letters describing duties, hours and dates
- Use only a panel physician for the medical examination
- Investigate provincial nominee programmes alongside federal routes
- Never pay for a job offer or an LMIA — it is fraud
- Verify any paid representative against the relevant regulator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an LMIA?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment, obtained by the employer, showing that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the role. Many employers will not undertake it.
Is Express Entry a work visa?
No. Express Entry manages applications for permanent residence under federal economic programmes. It does not authorise you to work in Canada while you wait.
Can I practise my profession on a work permit?
Not without provincial licensing. Regulated professions are licensed provincially, each with its own credential assessment and sometimes examinations. Start it early.
Someone offered to sell me a job offer. Is that legitimate?
No. A genuine LMIA is obtained by the employer and workers are not charged for it. Selling job offers or LMIAs is fraud, and using a fraudulent one carries severe consequences.
Work permit streams, LMIA requirements, Express Entry criteria and provincial licensing are set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and provincial bodies, and are revised. Confirm current requirements with the official sources before applying.