FAQ’s

A work permit is a temporary visa that allows an applicant to work in Canada. It does not provide permanent residence or the benefits of being one. A few jobs are exempt, where a work permit is not needed, such as athletes competing in Canada, health care students, public speakers, students working on campus, and others. To live permanently in Canada, you must qualify under an immigration category as a permanent resident.

Obtaining a work permit is often difficult. Your employer would have to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire you, which is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada. A LMIA gives your employer permission to hire you. This rigorous assessment requires employers to provide information, including and not limited to, the number of Canadians that have applied for their available job, the number of Canadians the employer interviewed, and explaining why those Canadians were not hired.

After your employer obtains a LMIA, they would need to submit an Offer of Employment form and a fee.

A student permit is a non-resident visa. If you plan on studying in a program that is longer than six months, you must have a student permit. Similar to a work permit, a student permit does not provide permanent residency.

Besides the benefits of learning in a G7 country, Canada has removed some restrictions when it comes to work. While studying, you may be eligible to work in Canada and may do so even after you graduate. Students are able to work on-campus. If you meet specific criteria, you may be able to work off-campus without an additional work permit.

This depends on your profile and circumstances. You can become a permanent resident through the Skilled Worker program, Canadian Experience Class, Self-Employed Program, Quebec Immigrant Investor Program and Family Sponsorship.

You may include your spouse or common-law partner and dependent children in your application. A dependent child must be under 19 years of age. A child will continue to be considered a dependent if they have depended substantially on their parents for financial support since before the age of 19 and have a mental or physical condition.

You need to show that you intend to support your spouse in Canada because you will be financially responsible for him/her. You must prove that you will support yourself and your family members, the person you are sponsoring and his or her family members, every person you have sponsored in the past or co-signed an undertaking that is still in effect, and every person whom your spouse has given or co-signed an undertaking.