Navigating the Path to a Canadian Work Visa in 2024

Two main ways to work in Canada are work visas and skilled labor immigration.

The procedure for applying for a Canadian work visa is that you receive a job offer from a Canadian employer and receive a temporary work visa. You can apply for permanent residence after a while.

But in the skilled labor immigration method, you will directly receive permanent work residence through Skill Worker programs that give you points based on various factors such as age, education, language, work experience, etc.

In the rest of the article, we will also examine other ways of working in Canada.

Temporary work visas in Canada

A temporary work visa allows a foreign national to work in Canada for a specific period of time. There are a number of different types of temporary work visas available, depending on the worker’s skills, experience, and the type of work they want to do.

LMIA-Based Work Visas (TFWP)

These visas allow Canadian employers to hire foreign workers if they are unable to find Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are qualified and available to fill the position. The employer must first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the Government of Canada. The LMIA process assesses whether hiring a foreign worker will have a negative impact on the Canadian labor market.

Here is an example:

A Canadian tech company is looking to hire a software engineer. They have advertised the position extensively in Canada, but they have not been able to find any qualified and available Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The company can apply for an LMIA-based work visa to hire a foreign software engineer.

Non-LMIA-Based Work Visas (IMP)

Canada’s IMP program allows foreign nationals to work in Canada without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This means that employers do not need to prove that they cannot find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position before they can hire a foreign worker.

To apply for a non-LMIA-based work visa, you must meet the eligibility requirements for the specific visa category you are applying for. You will also need to provide supporting documentation, such as a job offer from a Canadian employer and proof of your education and work experience.

Intra-Company Transfer Program (ICT)

International businesses that have a parent company, branches, subsidiaries or affiliates in Canada can use the Intercompany Transfer Program to bring essential staff from outside Canada to Canada. There is no need to obtain an LMIA work permit for work permits received under this program.

How to apply for the ICT Program?

To apply for the ICT Program, the employer must submit an application to the Canadian government. The application must include information about the company, the employee, and the position that the employee will be filling in Canada.

Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs)

Graduates with a higher diploma are eligible to stay in Canada and earn Canadian job experience through this program. The job experience they get in this program will then enable them to seek permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

To be eligible for a PGWP, international students must:

Graduate from a DLI in Canada
Meet the minimum language requirements (English or French)
Maintain full-time student status during their studies in Canada

Work Visa for Home Nurses (Caregiver)

This program permits nurses and their families to enter Canada and eventually achieve permanent residency. If a person has a job offer from Canada or has worked as a domestic nurse in Canada, he can apply for a work visa and ultimately permanent residence in Canada through this experimental program.

To be eligible for the Work Visa for Home Nurses (Caregiver) program, applicants must:

Meet the basic eligibility requirements for a Canadian work permit
Have a job offer from a Canadian employer
Meet the language requirements (English or French)
Have at least one year of experience working as a caregiver

Express Entry: Canada’s permanent residency

Express Entry is Canada’s immigration program for skilled workers who want to live and work in Canada permanently. It is a points-based system that assesses candidates based on their age, education, work experience, language skills, and ties to Canada

To be eligible for Express Entry, candidates must:

Meet the minimum requirements for one of the three Express Entry programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or Provincial Nominee Program (PNP)
Create an Express Entry profile and submit it online
Receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score

The CRS score is a points-based system that assesses candidates based on their:

Age
Education
Work experience
Language skills
Ties to Canada

Federal Skilled Worker Program

The Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is a Canadian immigration program that allows skilled workers from around the world to immigrate to Canada permanently. To be eligible for the FSWP, applicants must have at least one year of professional work experience and be fluent in English or French.

Applicants in the FSWP are awarded points based on a variety of factors, including:

Language skills
Education
Work experience
Age

The highest-scoring applicants are then invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

The Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) is a Canadian immigration program that allows skilled technical workers to immigrate to Canada and obtain permanent residency. To be eligible for the FSTP, individuals must have at least two years of work experience in qualified technical occupations and either a job offer or a qualification certificate in one of these occupations.

Canadian Experience Class (CEC)

The Canadian Experience Class (CEC) is a Canadian immigration program that allows skilled workers with Canadian work experience to immigrate to Canada permanently. To be eligible for the CEC, candidates must:

Have at least one year of continuous full-time work experience in a skilled occupation in Canada in the past three years
Meet the minimum language requirements (English or French)
Intend to live in a Canadian province other than Quebec

Candidates in the CEC are ranked based on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS score is a points-based system that assesses candidates based on their age, education, work experience, language skills, and ties to Canada.

The highest-ranked candidates are invited to apply for permanent residency in Canada.

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)

Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs) are a pathway for skilled workers to immigrate to Canada permanently. Each province and territory has its own PNP, and the requirements vary from province to province.

To be eligible for a PNP, you must first be nominated by a province or territory. To be nominated, you must meet the specific requirements of that province or territory’s PNP. These requirements may include having a job offer, meeting certain work experience or education requirements, or having ties to the province or territory.

Once you have been nominated by a province or territory, you can apply for permanent residency in Canada. If your application is approved, you will be granted permanent residency and will be able to live and work in Canada permanently.

A comparison of Canadian work immigration options

Name of the method	Cost	Processing time	Main conditions	Advantages	Disadvantages
Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)	$155 (work permit)	Variable (usually 2-3 months)	Having a job offer from Canada	Path to Canadian work experience	Need to have an LMIA permit from the employer
International Mobility Program (IMP)	$155 (work permit)	Variable (usually 2-3 months)	The requirements for each of the sub-programs are different without requiring an LMIA license	Various programs for different work experiences in Canada	The requirements for each sub-program vary, some may require a job offer
Intra-Company Transfer (ICT)	$155 (work permit)	Variable (usually 2 to 3 months)	Having at least one year of work experience as a senior manager, executive director or specialist without the need to have an LMIA license and a high language score limited to employees of international companies	Fast processing time and no need for an LMIA permit	Limited to employees of international companies and a high language score is required
Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)	$155 (Variable Work Permit (usually 4-5 months)	Graduation certificate from eligible Canadian educational institutions	Gaining Canadian work experience immediately after studying in Canada	Fast processing time and no need for a job offer	Limited to graduates of Canadian institutions and the length of the work permit is based on the length of the study program
Caregiver Program	$577 (work permit)	Variable (average 30 months)	Having a job offer in home care jobs (if you have less than 1 year of work experience) and a language certificate at the CLB 6 level without the need to have an LMIA permit	Long processing time but no need for an LMIA permit	Long processing time and limited to home care jobs
Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP)	$1,365	Variable (12 to 30 months)	One year of professional work experience and a language certificate at the CLB 7 level without the need to have a job offer	Competitive system based on points	Competitive system and long processing time
Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST)	$1,365	Variable (two years of work experience in qualified technical jobs and having a job offer without the need for a high language score limited to some technical jobs and the need to have a job offer or qualification certificate	Can be faster than other programs and no need for a high language score	Limited to some technical jobs and the need to have a job offer or qualification certificate
Canadian Experience Class (CEC)	$1,365	Variable (4 to 6 months)	Canadian work experience without the need to have a job offer	Fast processing time and no need for a job offer	Must have Canadian work experience
Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs)	$1,365	Variable (10-12 months via Express Entry)	Each province’s requirements vary	Various provincial programs according to each province’s needs	Depending on the PNP, some PNPs may have specific requirements, such as a job offer or ties to the province or territory

Work Visa Options