Working in Canada

If you are from a foreign country, and you are interested in working in Canada, you have a lot to consider. There are a series of questions you are going to need to ask yourself before you begin, and you will be doing a lot of reading.

Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) is a department within the  Government of Canada . They run a website you will visit a lot to find the answers to your questions. The  Working in Canada website is also a good resource. They have the Working in Canada Tool which you can use to identify your occupation in Canada. From there you can identify job prospects and skills required within your profession.

What is your country of origin?

Are there jobs available in your field?

Do you want to come to visit or study?

Do you need a Visa  or a work permit?

OK, that seems like a lot of information, and you are probably asking yourself where to start. Because this is a complex topic, I am going to break it down for you. The first question you need to ask is: "Do I want to come to Canada  permanently  or temporarily?" The answer to this initial question is important, and you will go down a different path depending on what you want.

Entering Canada

In order to be able to work in Canada, you must meet the more  general requirements to enter Canada . For many countries around the world, you simply need a passport to enter Canada. For others, you may need a Visa or other documents.  Click here to find out if you need a Visa.   After you apply for a Visa  it should take about a month for your application to be processed. A temporary Visa allows you to stay in Canada for six months, although you can  apply for an extension once you are here .

Temporary:

It is generally easier to come to Canada as a temporary worker. Some temporary jobs in Canada may not require a  work permit . You may not need a work permit if you fall into one of the  categories listed here.   The first this you should do us find out  who can apply   and  if you are eligible . If you are eligible, you can find the steps on  how to apply to work temporarily in Canada here.