LMIA-based
The employer first obtains a positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment where required. The worker then relies on that decision and the job offer in the work-permit application.
Canadian work permits
The right job is not enough. You need the right authority to work.
A work-permit application must connect the worker, the employer, the position and a precise legal category. Timing matters just as much: status, travel and changing job conditions can alter what a person may do while a decision is pending.
Advice and representation from Pranav Bhushan, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, RCIC R705848, in Mississauga, Ontario.
Book a work permit consultationWritten and reviewed byPranav Bhushan
Professional designationRCIC R705848
Last substantively reviewedJuly 17, 2026
Primary authorityIRCC work permit guidance
The short answer
What is a Canadian work permit?
A work permit is temporary authorization that allows a foreign national to work in Canada under the conditions imposed by immigration law and stated on the permit.
An employer-specific permit usually identifies the employer and may restrict the job, location and period of work. An open work permit can allow work for many employers, but it is not available on request: the applicant must qualify under an established category or policy.
A work permit is not a visa, does not guarantee admission to Canada and does not itself create permanent resident status. The application must fit the applicant’s circumstances at the time it is submitted and when a decision is made.
Permit architecture
Start by identifying the legal route.
The correct route determines what the employer and worker must do before the application can succeed.
LMIA-exempt
A specific International Mobility Program exemption must apply. In most employer-specific cases, the employer submits the offer through the Employer Portal and completes the compliance steps before the worker applies.
Open work permit
The worker must qualify under a defined category—for example, an eligible spouse, graduate, permanent residence applicant or vulnerable worker category. Eligibility and restrictions vary by program.
Source: IRCC — determine whether an LMIA or exemption applies.
Employer-supported permits
The employer process and worker application must match.
For an employer-specific permit, the evidence should consistently describe the business, job title, duties, wages, hours, work location and intended employment period. The supporting route may be the Temporary Foreign Worker Program with an LMIA or the International Mobility Program with a valid exemption.
RouteEmployer step before the worker applies
LMIA-required position
Obtain the appropriate positive or neutral LMIA and provide the supporting job information to the worker.
LMIA-exempt position
Identify the precise exemption and, in most cases, submit the offer through the Employer Portal and pay the compliance fee before the application.
Open work permit
No employer-specific offer is normally used to establish the permit category, though the worker must independently qualify for the open permit.
Calling a position “LMIA-exempt” is not enough. The application should identify why the exemption applies to this worker, this employer and these facts.
Source: IRCC — hiring through the International Mobility Program.
Application assessment
One application. Several connected questions.
The strongest submission anticipates how the evidence will be tested as a whole.
Eligibility
Does the worker meet the exact conditions of the selected permit category or exemption?
Employer
Are the required employer steps complete, and do the business and position records support the offer?
Qualifications
Do education, experience, licensing and other records show the worker can perform the proposed job?
Status and location
Can the person apply from their present location, and what may they legally do while the application is pending?
Temporary intent
Does the record address the temporary nature of the requested stay while recognizing any legitimate dual intent?
Admissibility
Are there medical, criminal, misrepresentation, compliance or other concerns that must be resolved?
Practical point
The permit category should be chosen before the forms are completed. Starting with forms often produces an application whose documents describe a job but never establish the legal basis for authorizing it.
Extensions and continued work
Filing before expiry can protect status—but conditions still control.
IRCC recommends applying at least 30 days before the current work permit expires. A worker who properly applies to extend or change a permit before expiry may remain in Canada on maintained status while IRCC decides the application.
Authorization to continue working is not unlimited. An eligible worker generally must remain in Canada and continue under the conditions of the original permit. For an employer-specific permit, that ordinarily means the same employer, job and work location.
A worker who has applied to change employers or occupations generally cannot begin the new work merely because the application was filed. IRCC has a separate process through which some in-Canada workers may request interim authorization; the worker must receive that authorization before relying on it.
Travel can affect the ability to work after returning to Canada. Maintained status and continued work should therefore be assessed before departure, not after re-entry.
Sources: IRCC — extend or change a work permit and IRCC — work authorization after permit expiry.
Application process
Build the application in the right order.
- 01
Review immigration status and timing
Confirm current status, permit conditions, expiry, location, travel plans and whether an in-Canada application is permitted.
- 02
Identify the work-permit category
Determine whether the case is LMIA-based, LMIA-exempt, open or covered by a specific work-permit exemption.
- 03
Complete the employer-side process
Secure the LMIA or complete the applicable Employer Portal and compliance steps before the worker submits, where required.
- 04
Align the evidence
Verify that the offer, duties, wages, qualifications, business records and applicant history tell one consistent story.
- 05
Prepare and submit the application
Complete the current forms, provide supporting documents and submissions, pay the required fees and retain proof of filing.
- 06
Manage the period after submission
Follow the lawful work conditions, monitor IRCC correspondence and report material changes while awaiting a decision.
Resolve these early
Work authorization errors have immediate consequences.
- Using an LMIA exemption that does not fit the facts
- Employer and worker documents describing different job terms
- Applying from inside Canada without being eligible to do so
- Assuming maintained status permits work for a new employer
- Travelling without assessing the effect on continued work
- Missing the permit-expiry or restoration deadline
- Working after status or authorization has ended
- Failing to address previous refusals or unauthorized work
After status expires
Restoration is not an extension—and it does not authorize work.
A person who loses worker status must stop working. IRCC’s general restoration rules require an eligible application within 90 days of losing status, compliance with the conditions of the previous stay and satisfaction of the requirements for the requested permit. Exceptions may exist under specific public policies.
Restoration is discretionary. Submitting the application does not restore status immediately and does not permit the person to resume working while awaiting a decision.
Read IRCC’s restoration guidance →Connected planning
A temporary permit and permanent residence plan are related—but legally separate.
Express Entry participation or a permanent residence application does not automatically extend worker status. Each temporary-status step needs its own legal basis and timing.
Coordinate work authorization with a supportable permanent residence strategy.
Review eligibility, CRS factors and documents without assuming a future invitation will solve a present status problem.
Explore Express Entry services →Frequently asked questions
Canadian work permits, clearly answered.
What are the main types of Canadian work permits?
The two broad types are employer-specific work permits and open work permits. An employer-specific permit limits work according to conditions stated on the permit. An open work permit is available only under specific programs or policies and may still contain restrictions.
Does every employer-specific work permit require an LMIA?
No. Some are supported by a positive LMIA under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, while others use a specific LMIA exemption under the International Mobility Program. The facts must meet the requirements of the selected exemption.
Do I need a job offer to obtain a work permit?
An employer-specific work permit normally requires an eligible employer and offer. Some people may qualify for an open work permit without a specific job offer, but only if they meet an established open-work-permit category.
Can I keep working after applying to extend my permit?
A person who applies before expiry may have maintained status and authorization to keep working while the application is processed, but only when the legal requirements are met. The person generally remains bound by the original permit conditions and must stay in Canada to rely on that work authorization.
Can I start working for a new employer while my application is processing?
Usually, a holder of an employer-specific permit must continue under the original conditions until a new permit is issued. A worker changing employers may be able to request separate interim work authorization under IRCC’s current process if eligible; filing the new permit application alone is not enough.
What happens if my work permit has expired?
A person who loses temporary resident status must stop working. Restoration may be available in limited circumstances, generally if the application is received within 90 days and the other requirements are met. Applying for restoration does not itself authorize work.
Can a visitor apply for a work permit from inside Canada?
Not simply because the person is in Canada as a visitor. The temporary public policy that broadly allowed certain visitors to apply from inside Canada ended on August 28, 2024. The person must fit a current in-Canada eligibility provision or apply through the appropriate outside-Canada process.
Can an RCIC guarantee work-permit approval?
No. Decisions are made by immigration officers. An RCIC can identify the legal category, assess eligibility, coordinate employer and worker evidence, prepare submissions and represent the applicant within the agreed scope.
Official starting point: IRCC — work permits.
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