Types of Applications

Applying as a skilled worker

Skilled Workers and professionals may apply for permanent residence under the Federal Skilled Worker Class. There are three categories under this Class:

• Category 1: For people who have at least one year of experience in one of the positions listed in the link below. This category provides the opportunity for a fast tracked application for Permanent Resident status.
  To view these occupations, please visit - The Skilled Workers Page of the Web Site.
• Category 2: For people who have an arranged employment offer with a Canadian employer
• Category 3: For students or workers who have been legally residing in Canada for at least 12 months.

Alternatively, skilled workers who want to become permanent residents may apply under the Provincial nominee program.

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program offers accelerated immigration for qualified skilled workers and experienced entrepreneurs who wish to settle in Canada and become permanent residents. This is a two step program that consists of a provincial and federal application.

First, the applicant is nominated by the province for permanent residence based on their ability to become economically established. Each province has its own nomination procedures.

Second, the applicant and their immediate families are eligible to apply for a permanent resident visa from Citizenship and Immigration Canada in the Provincial Nominee Class.

Temporary Resident Visa

This application is for people who wish to visit Canada for a temporary purpose, such as tourism, visiting family or friends, or business trips. A temporary resident visa is placed in your passport to show that you have met the requirements for admission to Canada.

A visa may be for a single entry or for multiple entries.

A single entry visa allows you to enter Canada only once and only within the time allowed on the visa itself. For example, you may be given six months from the date you enter Canada at the port of entry.

A multiple entry visa allows you to enter Canada from any country multiple times during the validity of the visa.

Criteria for the temporary resident visa are:

• You must satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada
• You must show that you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada and to return home
• You do not intend to work or study in Canada unless authorized to do so
• You must be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity (you may be asked to provide a Police Clearance Certificate)
• You must not be a risk to the security of Canada
• You must produce any additional documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility
• You must be in good health (complete a medical examination, if required).

Temporary residents are not allowed to work in Canada unless they have been approved for a work permit.

Work Permit

Every year, over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs that help Canadian employers address skill shortages.

A work permit is written authorization to work in Canada, usually for a specified job and length of time. Generally, a work permit may be issued based on labour market opinion. To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must meet the following criteria:

• You must have a written job offer from a Canadian employer and proof that you meet the requirements of the job
• You must have written confirmation from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer is authorized to hire foreign workers. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.
• You must satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your employment
• You must show that you have enough money to maintain yourself and your family members in Canada
• You must be law abiding and have no record of criminal activity (you may be asked to provide a police clearance certificate)
• You must not be a risk to the security of Canada
• You must be in good health (complete a medical examination, if required)
• You must produce any additional documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility.

Open Work Permit

For spouses and common-law partners of principle applicants, Open Work Permits are generally issued with a validity date that coincides with the period of time that your spouse is permitted to work or study in Canada. An open work permit allows you to accept employment from any employer for the time period specified on the work permit. You must meet the following requirements:

• The principal temporary foreign worker has work in Canada that is at a management level or a job in a professional occupation or as a technical or skilled tradesperson.
• This skill level requirement does not apply to principal temporary foreign workers who are provincial nominees.
• The principal temporary foreign worker is permitted to work in Canada for a period of at least six months.

Application to change conditions or extend your stay in Canada as a worker

If you have been issued a work permit and you need to extend your stay or change one of the conditions of your work permit, you can submit an application to:

• extend your stay
• change the conditions of your stay
• change the type of your temporary status
• correct problems with your status

It is important to apply for the renewal before the expiry of your current status. However, you may apply for Restoration of Status within 90 days after your status as a worker has been lost.

You must provide the following criteria:

• Full details of the work
• Proof of identity
• Proof of current status in Canada
• Proof that you will have the finances that you will need while in Canada and of how your transportation costs will be paid for when you leave Canada. The proof may consist of
  • A letter from your sponsor
  • A bank statement indicating your name and the account number
  • Details about your plans to leave Canada, particularly the date and time of departure and the means of transportation.

Visitor Visa

Canada welcomes you as a tourist, student or temporary worker. Every year, more than 5 million people visit Canada to enjoy the many opportunities our country has to offer.

Depending on where you live, and the reason for your visit, you will need to meet certain entry requirements. In most cases, if you plan to stay in Canada for a certain period of time, you will need a Temporary Resident Visa.

To visit Canada, you must:

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport
• be in good health
• satisfy an immigration officer that you have ties, such as a job, home and family, that will take you back to your country of origin
• satisfy an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit and
• Have enough money for your stay.

Family Class

A Canadian citizen or permanent resident may sponsor her or his spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner, or dependent children to come to Canada as permanent residents. As a permanent resident, you and your dependants have the right:

• To receive most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including health care coverage
• To live, work or study anywhere in Canada
• To protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

You must pay taxes, and respect all Canadian laws at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.

Labour Market Opinion - HRSDC confirmation

An HRSDC confirmation is the opinion provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC) to the officer which enables them to determine whether the employment of the foreign worker is likely to have a positive or negative impact on the labour market in Canada.

The HRSDC confirmation process is started by the prospective employer who contacts HRSDC to get a job offer form. When the form is completed and submitted, HRSDC considers several factors, including the availability of Canadians and the offered wages as well as the economic benefit the foreign worker would bring. HRSDC then provides advice to the officer.

You must have an LMO to support the work permit application that the worker must submit to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), along with an employment contract between the employer and employee. The worker will be able to come to work in Canada only if CIC issues a work permit to him or her.