Work Permits
Work permits are, for many, the first introduction to life in Canada. Opening doors to wonderful employment opportunities and in some cases to permanent residency to Canada. There is also another side where individuals are exploited with fake opportunities, or do not qualify because they did not properly address and understand the requirements to qualify. At Montrela we ensure that our clients finds new opportunities through out the process finding the right employer. We are delighted to work for you.
Foreign workers, who wish to enter Canada to work on a temporary basis and ease skill shortages in Canada, generally, require work permits/temporary visas. There are a few types of work permits that one can apply for to Canada. Most of the work permits require an employer.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Under this program the employers must obtain first a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to temporarily fill positions whose skills are in short supply in Canada. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) / Service Canada must grant an approval to the employers to hire a foreign worker, because there is a need for such skills and no Canadian permanent residents or Canadian citizens are available. Once the positive LMIA is obtained by the company, the foreign worker can apply for the work permit (WP). International Mobility Program (IMP)
Under this program, there are a few WP categories not requiring employers to first obtain a positive LMIA.
LMIA-exempt applications involve two phases:
1. The employer must submit an offer of employment to IRCC, together with an employer compliance fee, and provide the foreign national with the offer of employment number (the AA number), the fee receipt; and
2. The WP application, together with a visitor visa for each family member, spouse work permit, and/or dependent children study permit/visitor record, depending on the situation. Note: If a job is at the NOC 0 (managerial, executive) or NOC A (professional) level, you may be eligible for a two-week application expedited processing.
LMIA-Based Work Permit
A LMIA is a document issued by ESDC)/ Service Canada (SC) and is required to apply for most Canadian WPs. Prior to submitting the application for an LMIA, the employer must advertise, and advertising placement on the Job Bank must be one source. Applications for an LMIA for a temporary position have an associated application fee of $1,000 for each temporary foreign worker application. The positive LMIA is provided by ESDC / SC to the employer, who will provide it to the foreign worker to submit with his/her application for a WP.
The validity of an LMIA was extended recently to three years, for certain categories of positions. Thus, the WP granted, could range for one to three years in validity. There are shorter processing times of ten days available for eligible highest-demand, highest paid and shortest duration occupations, i.e. skilled trades within top 10% of pay and for positions that are less than 120 days. An application for an LMIA has the same requirements as an LMIA for Express Entry and Permanent Residence, hence receives the same scrutiny from ESDC. The foreign workers must demonstrate that they meet all the requirements of the position (i.e. education, experience, skills) as listed in the LMIA application. For more details about the LMIA process, please click here.
Global Talent Stream (GTS) LMIA
A program designed to hire highly-skilled global talent, which began in 2017, under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, the Global Talent Stream is a relatively new streamlined process. In 2019, GTS was transitioned into a permanent program. The Global Talent Stream is a key part of the Innovation and Skills Plan, which has as a primary objective, making Canada a world-leading centre for innovation.
LMIA-Based Work Permit under Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
Provincial Nominee Programs facilitate the entry to Canada of many categories of professionals who otherwise might not qualify under the Express Entry System. Note: if a Canadian employer has not found or trained a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident to fill a labour shortage, proper planning is necessary ahead of time for a new LMIA. The temporary worker can apply for a work permit extension before the initial work permit expired, and can continue working while awaiting a decision to be made on their application.
For new LMIA applications for high-wage positions, the transition plan must be feasible, to be credible, with realistic and verifiable implementation steps of the following:
- increased efforts to hire Canadians and train them in the long-term; or
- support the high-skilled temporary foreign worker transition to becoming a permanent resident of Canada.
Provincial nominee programs authorize provinces and territories to nominate applicants based on the labour market and economic needs of each province or territory. Please visit our PROVINCIAL NOMINEE PROGRAMS page here.