Work Visa is an official document that enables foreign workers to engage in legal employment in Canada. Your permanent residency application’s overall score is influenced by your job history in Canada.

Foreign nationals can work in Canada on a temporary basis under various programs.

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

Unless you qualify for an LMIA-exempt work permit, if you wish to work in Canada based on a work permit, you require an LMIA. 

The employer who wishes to hire a temporary foreign worker(s) will apply to obtain authorization to hire a foreign worker(s) from abroad. 

The work permits that are supported by an LMIA are valid for up to 24 months and include the details and conditions of the employment based on the information provided by the employer when they apply for the LMIA.

Employer-Specific Work Permit

Employer specific work permit is a work permit that has conditions, which are pre-determined by the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). 

The LMIA is obtained first by the employer and used in the foreign worker’s work permit application. The LMIA will have all the employment conditions that will be reflected on the foreign worker’s work permit.

The conditions on the work permit include:

• The name of the employer
• Duration of employment
• Employment location (if applicable)

Open Work Permit

Unlike the employer-specific work permit, the open work permit doesn’t require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Open work permit applicants can work with any employer in Canada (Some conditions apply)

You may be eligible for an open work permit if you:

• Are an international students who graduated from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and is eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
• Applied for permanent residence in Canada
• Are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence
• Are a spouse/common-law partner of a skilled worker or an international student
• Are a spouse/common-law partner of an applicant of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
• Are a refugee, refugee claimant, protected person, or their family member
• Are a young worker participating in special programs