Any Questions? Call us

0183 - 2914529

Work Visa

Home / Work Visa

Open Work Permit

An open work permit is viewed as an opportunity for those who wish to work for any Canadian employer. This is a non-job specific permit for which the candidates can apply provided he /she must have complied well with the employment standards. Being an open work permit, there is no need of waiting for a positive reply from Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to apply.

Eligibility criteria

The persons who stand eligible for applying for open work permit includes:
  • The applicants of Permanent Residence in Canada who recently applied for a job in any office there.
  • Those persons who are dependent family members of the candidates who have already applied for Permanent Residence.
  • The spouses and common law partners of certain workers and international students.
  • The refugees or refugee claimants or the protected members and their family members.
  • Certain persons holding a Temporary Resident Permit.
  • Certain young workers who are participating in some special programs in Canada.
  • Certain additional eligibility criteria is also required to be fulfilled for these scenarios.

Employer specific work permit

This work permit allows any foreign worker to work under a specific employer in Canada for a specific period of time. This work permit certainly includes the name of the employer, duration as well as the location of work under certain conditions. This can also be regarded as closed work permit as it is job specific, and generally requires a positive response from LMIA stating that there was no available capable Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident for doing this job that is being offered to the person.

Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria to apply for the employer specific work permit requires to be in compliance with certain conditions. The general eligibility can also be dependent on the place you are applying for the work permit from.

General eligibility criteria

  • An assurance that the candidate will leave the country as soon as his work permit expires.
  • The candidate must not work for the employers who have failed to comply with the employment standards or the employers engaging in sex trade like strip clubs, erotic massage parlours or escort services.
  • He must get his security and background checked following which he must submit the police clearance certificate.
  • He must get his medical exam done.
  • He must have enough funds to support himself and his family member for their stay in Canada.

Post - Graduation Work Permit

The Post Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) can be granted to candidates who have completed their graduation from a learning institute in Canada (either inside Canada or outside Canada) if they meet the eligibility criteria for application.

Any candidate is eligible to apply for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) who have got their degree/ diploma or transcript or official letter from their school in Canada and have up to 180 days to apply for PGWP, provided their study permit remains valid at certain point during this period of 180 days.

If a candidate's study permit expires before he gets his marks, there are two options:
  • One can apply for a visitor record to extend his stay in Canada.
  • He can leave the country and then apply for his PGWP.

If he chooses to stay in Canada and meanwhile his permit expires, he must apply to restore his status as a student in order to be eligible to apply for PGWP. He will have to pay additional fees to restore this status.

Eligibility criteria

A candidate is eligible to apply for PGWP if he meets one of the following criteria:
  • His study permit is valid for the last 180 days.
  • He has got his valid visitor card.
  • He has already submitted his application for extending study permit well before the time his study permit expired but no decision was made on the application.
  • He has already submitted an application to restore his status from student to visitor before the expiry of his study permit but no decision was made on the application.

Additionally, he must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • He must have completed a study program.
  • At a designated institute.
  • Minimum duration of program was 8 months.
  • He has got a certificate, diploma or degree for that program.
  • He has remained a full-time student for each of his semester in Canada, with exceptions to last semester that can be part time if he had been approved for his “leave” from the country or he had to switch to part time study program due to Covid 19 between a period of march 2020 to Fall semester in 2020.
  • He had graduated from a public post secondary school or a private secondary school or post secondary school (in Quebec) offering minimum 900 hours programs providing a Diplôme d’études professionnelles ( DEP - vocational studies diploma) or Attestation de spécialisation professionnelle ( ASP- vocational studies accreditation) with exceptions to a program in ASP being lesser than 900 hours if merged with a DEP. He is also eligible if he has graduated as an Associate, Bachelor's or Masters or PhD in Provincial Law.

    • Exceptions for eligibility

  • The candidates whose study permit expired for up to 180 days before the application or already had a PGWP cannot apply for this permit. With some exceptions to these eligibility criteria- the candidates who studied English or French as second language or studied general interest or self improvement courses. A candidate is also not eligible if he has participated in “Awards Program by Government of Canada” funded by “Global Affairs Canada” or whose studies have been funded by “Global Affairs Canada”. The candidates who got “study in Canada” scholarship still stand eligible for applying.
  • A candidate who has received “Equal Opportunity Scholarship (Canada -Chile) is regarded ineligible for applying for PGWP. The candidates who have participated in “Canada-China Scholar's Exchange program” or have participated in organizing the “American States Fellowships Program” can also not apply for PGWP.
  • A candidate who has been a student of distance learning in a study program or who have studied at a non-Canadian Institute located in Canada are held ineligible for applying.