Canada is a country that welcomes foreign labour, both skilled and semi-skilled. Work is very often the first step towards immigration, because you will be able to use the Canadian work experience to advance your permanent residence application.
​
You may apply for Work Permit both inside and outside of Canada. If you are outside of Canada, you will receive a temporary resident visa along with a letter saying that you are allowed to work in Canada. You will receive the actual Work Permit once you land in Canada.
​
To be able to work in Canada, you usually need a Work Permit. However, there are exceptions. Some categories of temporary residents of Canada are exempt from obtaining a Work Permit.

There are two types of Work Permits: open Work Permits and employer-specific Work Permits. Open Work Permits allow you to work for any employer in Canada, whereas employer-specific Work Permits allows you to work in Canada for a specific employer only.

Open Work Permits
​
You are eligible to apply for an open Work Permit, if you are:
​

• An international student eligible for Post-Graduation Work Permit;
• A destitute student;
• A holder of employer-specific Work Permit who was abused at work;
• An applicant for permanent residence;
• A family member of a permanent residence applicant;
• A spouse or common-law partner of an international student or skilled worker;
• A spouse or common-law partner of an applicant under Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program;
• A refugee, a refugee claimant, a protected person, or their family member;
• Under a removal order that is not being enforced at the moment;
• A holder of a temporary resident permit;
• A young person participating in special programs.

​
Employer-Specific Work Permits
​
An employer-specific Work Permit allows you to work for a certain employer for a limited time. Employer-specific Work Permits can be LMIA-based or LMIA-exempt.
​
An LMIA, or Labour Market Impact Assessment, is an application submitted to Employment and Social Development Canada to prove that the company needs a temporary foreign worker and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was found to meet this need.
​
LMIA is a lengthy and laborious process which, if successful, can allow the applicant to apply for a Work Permit. The final decision whether to issue a Work Permit or not rests with IRCC when it reviews the Work Permit application.
​
LMIA processing time varies from a few weeks to a few months. Once a positive LMIA is obtained, a Work Permit application must be filed within 6 months. Work permit applications are usually processed in a few weeks.
​
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations provide for a number of exemptions from LMIA. You might be exempt, if you fall under an international agreement or if hiring you is in the Canadian interests. LMIA is also not required for some provincial nominee programs and for the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program.

Whether you are looking to obtain an open Work Permit or an employer-specific Work Permit, or if you are an employer looking for a positive LMIA from Service Canada, at Sokolov Immigration, we can handle your case expertly.
​
We will:

• advise you on your chances to get a Work Permit
• help with an LMIA application if required
• draft letters of support for review of the IRCC immigration officer
• create a strategy to prove that you are a bona fide applicant and will return home after your visit to Canada
• prepare and translate, if necessary, the supporting documents
• write a legal representative's submission letter where we will highlight the strong points of your application
• complete all applications forms correctly to avoid any future accusation in misrepresentation and 5-year ban to come to Canada.

​
While you do your job, trust us to do ours. At Sokolov Immigration, we have the experience and expertise in Work Permit applications, and we will handle your case expertly.