Work temporarily In Canada
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Every year, over 150,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages, or to work as live-in caregivers.
A work permit is needed for most temporary jobs in Canada. Some jobs do not require a work permit.
If you intend to work in the province of Quebec, you must obtain a certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) before a work permit can be issued.
Please NOTE:
Regulatory changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program take effect April 1st, 2011
Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, in consultation with stakeholders, worked collaboratively to develop amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. These changes will help strengthen the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and provide further protections for temporary foreign workers while alleviating temporary labour shortages.
As a result of these amendments, there are important changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that affect employers and temporary foreign workers starting on April 1, 2011. Highlights of the changes include:
- A more rigorous assessment of the genuineness of the job offer
- A two-year prohibition from hiring temporary foreign workers for employers who have failed to meet their commitments to workers with respect to wages, working conditions and occupation; and
- A limit on the length of time a temporary foreign worker may work in Canada before returning home.
If you would like to apply for temporary work in Canada, please read the below information. Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. For some categories of workers, permits are approved more quickly.
a) Eligibility to apply from outside Canada
To find out whether you’re eligible to apply from outside Canada, please contact us.
b) Eligibility to apply as you enter Canada
To find out whether you’re eligible to apply as you enter Canada, please contact us.
c) Special categories and necessity of work permit
Jobs that do not require a work permit
Please NOTE:
If you fall into one of the categories below, you do not need a work permit. However, if you are from a country that requires a visa to visit Canada, you must apply for a Temporary Resident Visa.
- Athletes and coaches
- Aviation accident or incident investigators
- Business visitors
- Civil aviation inspectors
- Clergy
- Convention organizers
- Crew members
- Emergency service providers
- Examiners and evaluators
- Expert witnesses or investigators
- Family members of foreign representatives
- Foreign government officers
- Foreign representatives
- Health-care students
- Judges, referees and similar officials
- Military personnel
- News reporters, film and media crews
- Performing artists
- Public speakers
- Students working on campus
Working temporarily in Canada: Special categories
Certain categories of workers have their own eligibility requirements and may not require a work permit, or they may have work permits approved more quickly. In some cases, this may depend on the country in which they live.
