The Canadian work permit is a temporary resident visa issued by the Government of Canada to foreign workers. Work permits are typically issued for one year, but this may depend on the type of permit issued and the duration of the job or project. It may also be affected by the validity of the foreign worker's passport.
Every province and territory in Canada requires a work permit, and workers seeking employment in Quebec may need additional permits. There are some exemptions where foreign workers do not need to obtain a work permit, but most standard jobs require these work permits.
With certain exceptions, before a work permit can be applied for by foreign workers, the Canadian employer offering the job opportunity must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the federal human resources department.
The purpose of the LMIA process is to demonstrate that there are no Canadians available to fill the job position before hiring foreign workers, thereby protecting the Canadian labor market.
Before applying for an LMIA, Canadian employers must advertise the position for one month to see if any Canadians can fill the position. If the employer cannot find a Canadian, then they can apply for an LMIA. Once the LMIA request is received, the human resources department typically takes about two months to process it.
Therefore, between the advertising and LMIA process, it takes approximately three months for processing.
Once the LMIA is approved, foreign workers can apply for a work permit. The processing time for work permits can vary significantly depending on the location of submission and the type of application.
As of August 2014, applications submitted within Canada (for extensions of issued work permits) typically took about 38 days for paper applications and about 25 days for online applications. After 2018, as the number of applicants increased, this time extended to approximately 2-3 months.
The processing time for applications submitted to visa offices outside Canada largely depends on your location, with different processing times for different countries; for China, it generally ranges from 2 to 4 months.
The process for obtaining a Canadian work visa consists of six steps:
Step 1: Contact a Canadian company (employer). After the employer decides to hire you, they will send you a Job Offer, and the employer also needs to have an LMIA.
Step 2: After obtaining the Job Offer and LMIA, you can prepare the materials for the application.
Step 3: Submit the application.
Step 4: Wait for the processing results.
Step 5: If there are no issues with the materials, the embassy will notify you for a medical examination.
Step 6: After passing the medical examination, you can obtain the visa.