What is the Eligibility Criteria to Work in Canada

Eligibility requirements if you apply from outside Canada

You may apply for a work permit outside of Canada. If you need a visa to enter Canada or if you need to have a medical exam you must apply to a visa office outside Canada before you come here.

Learn about  Global Skills Strategy's two-week application processing.   Leave employer section blank if you are applying for an open work permit.

Eligibility requirements if you apply from inside Canada

You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if you:

• are currently in Canada and have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit,
• have graduated from a program at a
  • Canadian university,
  • community college,
  • CÉGEP,
  • publicly funded trade/technical school, or
  • other eligible school.
• have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more,
• have applied or been included in an application for permanent residence from inside Canada (you will have to pass certain stages in the main application process to be eligible for a work permit),
• have asked for refugee status in Canada and are waiting for a decision from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada,
• have been recognized by the RPD as a convention refugee or protected person,
• have had your refugee claim turned down by the RPD but you cannot be removed from Canada for reasons beyond your control, or
• are allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job.

Find out what type of work permit you can apply for. If you are applying for an open work permit, leave the employer section of the application blank.

Eligibility requirements if you apply when you enter Canada

You can ask to be allowed to work in Canada when you enter Canada but only if:

• you are from a visa-exempt country,
• you already hold a valid medical certificate, if you need it for your job, or are from a designated country, and either
• your employer has completed all of the steps for your type of work permit, or
• you are applying for an open work permit.

If you're a citizen of an eTA-required country, you'll need to get an eTA if you plan to fly into Canada. To avoid additional costs, we recommend that you apply for your work permit before you travel to Canada.

Find out what type of work permit you can apply for. If you are applying for an open work permit, leave the employer section of the application blank.