Temporary Foreign Worker program

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OPEN WORK PERMIT

Open work permit allows to a foreigner  work for any employer in Canada, and  he/she must  be eligible to apply for an open work permit in the next following situations:

• a spouse or common-law partner of an international student and skilled worker
• a refugee, refugee claimant, protected person and their family member
• a temporary resident holder
• an international student graduated from the designated learning institution

EMPLOYER-SPECIFIC WORK PERMIT

It allows to work under the specific conditions:

• An employee is allowed to work for just a specific employer indicated on his/her work permit  
• The duration of the employment 
• The location of work

The employer must have LMIA - Labour Market Impact Assessment before a foreign worker can apply for a work permit and issue a job offer or contract

What does LMIA mean?

It is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada/service which allows a Canadian employer to hire a worker from overseas via the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

A Canadian employer must proof that there is a need for a temporary foreign worker and no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job.