Work Permit

Work Permit

You usually need a Work Permit to work in Canada. You can apply for the work permit inside or outside of Canada subject to your resident status.

Eligible to apply for a Work Permit

  • prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires,
  • show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home,
  • obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate),
  • not be a danger to Canada’s security,
  • be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed,
  • not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions,
  • not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages, and
  • give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.

Types of Work Permits

Open Work Permit

Allows you to work for any employer in Canada, except for an employer who is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions, or who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.

Employer-specific Work Permit

Allows you to work according to the conditions on your work permit, which include:

  • the name of the employer you can work for,
  • how long you can work, and
  • the location where you can work (if applicable).

Work Without Permit

To work in Canada as a student working off-campus, full-time international students can work off-campus without a work permit:

  • up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and
  • full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.

To qualify, you must:

  • have a valid study permit,
  • be a full-time student,
  • be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level, and be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.