Canada work permit requirements depend on the permission you qualify for, not simply on having a Canadian job offer. An employer-specific application normally needs employer support through an LMIA or an applicable exemption. An open work permit requires a qualifying category. Both routes also involve personal eligibility, admissibility and the correct application process.
Official information checked: September 24, 2026. This guide is for international applicants planning temporary employment in Canada. It is general information, not individual legal advice or a job offer. The featured image is an original AI-generated workplace illustration, not evidence of a vacancy or an approved applicant.
Start with the route, not a generic document list
Before gathering paperwork, answer three questions: Do you need a permit for the proposed activity? Which permit category fits your circumstances? Are you eligible to apply from your current location? These questions are related, but a positive answer to one does not settle the others.
An employer-specific permit limits employment according to its conditions, including the named employer and any occupation or location restrictions. The employer must establish whether an LMIA is required and complete the appropriate steps before you apply. An offer alone is not permission to begin work.
An open permit is different: it generally allows employment with most eligible employers without a specific job offer. However, it is available only in defined circumstances, such as an eligible post-graduation or family-related category. Some open permits still carry occupation or location restrictions. Being married to a worker does not automatically establish eligibility.
Use IRCC’s work permit eligibility guidance as your starting point. It connects to permit types, special instructions and the separate inside-Canada process.
LMIA-required and LMIA-exempt: what should your employer provide?
The important distinction is between proof supporting the employer’s hiring route and proof that you personally qualify. Neither replaces the other. For example, an employer’s positive assessment cannot demonstrate that you hold a professional licence required for the offered role.
| Application route | Employer-side evidence to confirm | Your next check |
|---|---|---|
| LMIA-required | Positive LMIA details, employment contract and offer letter | Do the job details match the application you are preparing? |
| LMIA-exempt employer-specific | Contract and normally an Employer Portal offer number; exceptions exist | Which exemption supports this particular employment? |
| Open work permit | No employer offer or LMIA required for the open-permit application | What evidence establishes your eligible category? |
LMIA-exempt does not mean unrestricted employment. An exempt employer-specific permit can still tie you to one employer. Ask for the actual route and supporting documentation rather than accepting a recruiter’s phrase such as “no LMIA needed” as a complete explanation.
Practical example: a technician receives a signed offer but no explanation of the hiring route. The sensible next step is to clarify the employer’s LMIA or exemption arrangements, not to copy an open-permit checklist. This is an application-planning example, not a prediction of approval.
Personal eligibility: funds, admissibility and temporary stay
You must show that you can support yourself and accompanying family during your stay and return home. IRCC says the amount can depend on family size, the community and the work permit program. There is no single bank balance in the general guidance that guarantees every work permit.
Prepare a realistic arrival budget: accommodation, transport, food and the period before your first salary. If accommodation is included in the employment arrangement, keep the written terms. These are planning suggestions; use the evidence required by your own application checklist rather than treating this budget as an official formula.
You must also satisfy the applicable temporary-stay and admissibility requirements. Criminal, security, medical or misrepresentation concerns can affect a decision. Disclose relevant history accurately and respond to document requests; hiding a problem is not a way to resolve it.
Build a document file that explains your situation
For an outside-Canada application, start with the required application form, valid passport or travel document and photo. Your online answers generate a personalized checklist. Local visa-office instructions may add requirements, and applicants living outside their country of citizenship need evidence of their current immigration status.
Read IRCC’s forms and supporting-document requirements before finalizing uploads. Employer-specific files include employment history and evidence of qualifications. Family documents and translations may also be necessary. Quebec employment can involve additional provincial requirements; do not assume another province’s checklist is sufficient.
A useful way to organize your preparation is by the question each document answers:
- Identity: Are names and personal details consistent across the passport, forms and employer records?
- Employment: Do the contract and supporting employer documents describe the same job?
- Capability: Does your evidence explain how you meet that job’s requirements?
- Residence: Is your stated current location supported by your immigration documents?
- Family: Are accompanying relatives identified consistently across their applications?
This organization method is not a replacement checklist. It helps you spot contradictions before submission. If a required record is unavailable, follow IRCC’s instructions for your circumstances; do not fabricate a reference, employment period or certificate.
For practical image and upload checks, use our Canada visa photo checklist. Match the photograph to your work permit application instructions rather than assuming every visa or permit uses the same digital specification.
Medical checks and biometrics are separate requirements
A medical examination is not automatically required for every worker. The answer depends on factors including the proposed occupation, length of stay and relevant residence or travel history. Jobs involving public-health protection, including certain health-care and childcare roles, have particular requirements.
Use an IRCC-approved panel physician when an immigration medical exam is required. An ordinary medical certificate from your usual doctor is not a substitute. Follow the current instructions on timing and keep the confirmation you receive.
Biometrics are a different step. If instructed to provide fingerprints and a photograph, follow the instruction letter and its deadline. Paying a biometric fee is not the same as completing the appointment. Check whether you need to give biometrics for this application instead of assuming everyone must repeat them.
Application fees: distinguish the base fee from extras
At the check date, the standard work permit processing fee is CAD 155. An open work permit normally adds a CAD 100 holder fee. Individual biometrics cost CAD 85 when required. Fee exemptions and special program charges can change what a particular applicant pays.
For a straightforward employer-specific application with biometrics payable, those two charges total CAD 240. An open-permit applicant paying all three charges would budget CAD 340. These are conditional examples, not all-inclusive quotes: medical examinations, translations, travel and other applicable costs are separate.
The open-permit holder fee should not be added merely because a person is applying to work. For broader budgeting, see our Canada visa fees guide, then confirm the amount shown in your actual government application before paying.
Can you apply while visiting Canada?
Visitor status alone does not make someone eligible for the inside-Canada work permit process. IRCC lists specific qualifying situations, including certain people with valid work or study permits and other defined categories. Being physically in Canada and being eligible to apply from within Canada are different matters.
Also separate application eligibility from permission to start working. A visitor should not begin employment just because an employer has offered a position or an application has been submitted. If your circumstances involve an expiring status, a pending extension or changing employers, obtain advice specific to that situation.
Submit carefully, then plan for the decision and arrival
The normal outside-Canada process uses an online account, a questionnaire, document uploads, payment and submission. Special program instructions and limited paper-application exceptions exist. Save a complete copy of what you submit, not just the payment receipt.
Monitor your account for requests and avoid committing to a guaranteed employment start date based on someone else’s timeline. Our Canada visa processing time guide explains how to interpret estimates. Employer preparation and application processing are separate parts of your overall planning.
For an approved outside-Canada application, the introduction letter is not the printed work permit. Bring the approval evidence and required travel and supporting documents. The border officer checks admissibility and decides whether to issue the permit and admit you. Read the printed conditions and raise any error before leaving the inspection area.
Your final readiness check
Before submitting, make sure you can name your permit category, explain the employer’s role, identify the evidence proving your eligibility and account for every required upload. Check that dates, job details and personal information agree throughout the file.
If one of those foundations is missing, resolve it before relying on a promised departure date. A complete-looking folder is not enough when it supports the wrong route. Canada work permit requirements are best approached as a connected eligibility decision, not a collection of documents bought from a generic checklist.