Work Visas in Canada

Work Visas - Work Permit

Types of Canadian Work Permits

Canada offers three primary work permit programs:

Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) This program necessitates a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for foreign seeking a work permit. The LMIA helps employers prove to the Canadian government that hiring a foreign worker will not adversely impact the local workforce. The federal department of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) ensures that the employment of foreign workers does not displace Canadian workers or drive down their wages.

This program allows foreign nationals to obtain a work permit without the need for an LMIA.

Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP) International students after graduating from college or university receive an Open Work Permit through the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PGWP). An Open Work Permit holder can work for any Canadian employer without having a pre-confirmed job offer.

On October 4, the government of Canada announced additional changes to the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) program.

New eligibility requirements below do not apply to you:

If you apply for a PGWP before November 1, 2024, you only need to meet the current eligibility criteria.
If you apply for a PGWP as a graduate from a PGWP eligible flight school, you only need to meet the current eligibility criteria (even after November 1, 2024).
If you submitted your study permit application before November 1, 2024, and are applying for a PGWP on or after November 1, 2024, you must meet the new requirement that applies to your situation.

New eligibility requirements apply to you:

If you submitted your study permit application before November 1, 2024, and are applying for a PGWP on or after November 1, 2024, you must also meet the new requirement that applies to your situation.

If you graduated with a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree from a university:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas.
If you graduated in any other university program:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French in all 4 language areas.
If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 language areas.

2. If you submit your study permit application on or after November 1, 2024, you must also meet the new

requirements that apply to your situation to be eligible to apply for a PGWP.

If you graduated from a university bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree program:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) 7 in English or Niveaux de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) 7 in French in all 4 language areas.
- Field of study requirement: All fields of study are eligible. There is no additional field of study requirement.
If you graduated from any other university program:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 7 in English or NCLC 7 in French in all 4 language areas.
- Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study.
If you graduated from a college program or any other program not listed above:
- Language requirement: You must prove your English or French language skills with a minimum level of CLB 5 in English or NCLC 5 in French in all 4 language areas.
- Field of study requirement: You must graduate in an eligible field of study.

Field of study requirement

If your study program has a field of study requirement, you must graduate from a program linked to certain occupations in long-term shortage.

The fields of study are divided into 5 broad categories: