Work Permits
Employers who wish to hire foreign nationals must ensure that they are legally able to do so. In most situations, a foreign worker will need to obtain a Work Permit. A foreign worker who holds an Open Work Permit may work for any Canadian employer, except for those occupations listed on the document. The worker should have a temporary Social Insurance Number and can be hired by the Canadian employer without any application to IRCC. The employer should note and track the expiration date of the Work Permit and request a copy of a new Work Permit prior to that date. Work Permit expires and there is no proof the worker has applied for an extension, then the worker must cease working immediately.
To qualify for an employer specific Work Permit, the worker requires a Canadian employer to either obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment or submit an Offer of Employment through a government employer portal. The type of application depends on the stream the worker will be offered employment under, either the IMP or TFWP.