Canada seems fully grown in size but we can’t say the same of opportunities. The country keeps expanding in advancement. As much as Canada struggles with less population to maximally occupy its land, it still struggles with even fewer workers to meet labor demand.
It then should not occur as a surprise that to satisfy population balance and opportunity demand, Canada needs more people but they are not just interested in everyone, they are interested in those who can add value to the country and there’s an established way to guarantee this. Through immigration and labor policies, the government can determine who gets into the country and why.
With different classes of visas and work permits, Canadian authorities regulate not just entry into the country but who gets available jobs for migrants. Note that not all visa classes in Canada require a work permit, work permit is specifically for employment-based visas.
There are other kinds of visas, for example, family visa sponsorship, tourist visas, student visas, etc., these, and several others don’t require a work permit unless a beneficiary decides to work along the line.
When Do You Need a Work Permit?
All foreigners desiring to enter Canada need a visa unless exempted from doing so given the diplomatic relationship between your country and Canada or for other reasons. Regarding work permits, not all migrants need it.
A work permit is an approval document allowing migrant holders to live and “work” in Canada. In this case, you need a work permit if you intend to work while in Canada or if your primary purpose of migrating to Canada is to fulfill a work obligation.
Who Doesn’t Require a Canadian Work Permit?
Citizens and permanent residents may not require a work permit, also, students are exempted from using a work permit since their studentship in a Canadian university earns them a part-time work permit as part of their educational program. Also, some researchers in Canadian institutions may not require a work permit.
Before being issued a permit what is expected of an applicant
A work permit is usually issued before the applicant arrives in Canada. This means that the applicant must have secured a job in Canada with a firm domiciled in the country and such firm should be willing to stand as the visa sponsor. This redirects us to a brief examination of visa sponsorship.
Visa Sponsorship and its role in work permit issuance in Canada?
To be issued a work permit, you may have to secure a job in Canada. To secure a job, you need an employer to offer you a job and attend to the official requirements for migrating a foreign worker into Canada as your visa sponsor.
The sponsorship visa and accompanying work permits follow a series of immigration, labor, and employment guidelines. The sponsor must be ready to comply with provisions before successfully migrating a worker into Canada. Part of that provision is ensuring the employee obtains legal approval to work in Canada. Such legal approval refers to the Work Permit and more.
How Can Foreigners Secure a Job While Outside Canada?
Since in most cases, one must secure a job in Canada before being issued a work permit, then such individuals need to understand how to secure a job in Canada while still in their home country. Several people applying for Canadian jobs may not have contacts in Canada as such may use these tested models to secure a Canadian job remotely by following these steps:
- Find a Canadian travel agent: Firms in Canada often rely on travel agents from the international communities. This gives direct contact to the employee. Travel agents familiar with Canadian migration can serve as middlemen between Canadian employers and employees.
Often the travel agent sources the workforce on behalf of Canadian employers from their home country. In several cases, such travel agents either live in Canada, have lived in Canada, have contacts in the country or are familiar with Canadian immigration and employment processes.
- Utilize Social Media by reaching Canadian Firms: Canadian firms even if lacking workers won’t find you in your country. You have to do the reaching out. Today, this is possible by utilizing the remote power of social media networks.
Several Canadian firms operate a social media handle. You can find these firms online. You can also join Canadian communities on such networks and possibly make friends with Canadians who will give you vital information about Canadian firms.
When you learn about your target employment sector in the country, you can find firms in such a category and then reach out to the ones that interest you. That way you can get timely updates which may include vacancy updates and job application processes.
- Utilize targeted search and others: Firms in Canada usually run a website, a landing page, or other online profiles. Most of the information provided on these platforms is captured by search engines and rendered to searchers. Through search queries on platforms like Google or Bing, you can gain vital information about these firms.
- Try Dedicated Recruiters or Staffing Companies: Part of the entities you seek on your web search and social media outreach are dedicated recruiters and staffing companies. They are instrumental in the Canadian employment process. Through such staffing companies, you can find vacancies in Canada and possibly apply.
When you find a Sponsor what’s Next? (Responsibilities)
Perhaps you secure a job with an entity willing to sponsor your migration to Canada, that’s where the real story begins. When you find such a sponsor, you may initiate your visa and work permit processing. To do this, the Canadian authority must know more about you and your sponsor.
How to Obtain Your Work Permit
Before starting your work permit process, note that different classes of work permit abound. This study focuses on the work permits that need a Labour Market Impact Assessment and require a sponsor. Note that other work permits exist. You may have to consult with a Canadian immigration expert to understand which is suitable for you.
This stage starts with understanding your responsibilities and those of your sponsor as complying with the provision will be instrumental to your visa and work permit success.
General Responsibilities
The responsibilities listed here are considered common for the Canadian visa and work permit process. Different types of permits or work visas have unique associated requirements and responsibilities. Seeking further understanding of your visa or migration class and the associated job will help you better understand your responsibilities.
Common Responsibilities of Your Canadian Work Visa and Permit Sponsor
- Support Visa or Work Permit Applicant: Securing a Canadian visa and work permit can be complex. Even when the visa and work permit applications materialize, the applicant still needs support especially while in Canada. This is given the likely difference in the environment, weather, and worldview between the applicant’s home country and Canada. Applicants usually need help with accommodation and other basic needs like medication and other support.
- Ensure you comply with legal provisions: Migrating a foreigner is the hallmark of business practice. When given that rare opportunity, always aspire to deserve it. One way to indicate this is by approaching business from a legitimate angle. Failure to operate your enterprise lawfully may lead to exposition during your sponsorship pursuit. If you have some skeletons in the cupboard like tax evasion, attempting to sponsor a visa may bring it all into the open.
- Verify your employee’s ability to conduct employment purposes effectively: This is crucial to ensure you are not employing and migrating a liability that instead of contributing positively to the system, such migrant may become a burden.
- Verify your employment qualification for worker migration: To be issued some work permits, Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) provisions must be satisfied. This is where the employer indicates that the employment for which a foreigner is being migrated does not threaten the Canadian employment space. By this, the employer must prove the unavailability of Canadians or residents for the job in focus.
Common responsibilities of the applicant for work visa and permit
- Initiate the work permit process in your country: Unless you are exempted, you must start your work permit process while not in Canada. Some individuals can apply at the port of entry or while in the country; however, this privilege is not extended to every applicant.
- Have an exit intention: The applicant must demonstrate an intention to leave Canada once the permit or visa expires; the applicant must not stay in the country indefinitely.
- Be of quality health: Health status may need to be proven by tendering lab or vaccination results.
- Provide job validation documents: Valid contract, and educational qualifications in addition to CV and Resume tendering may be useful in proving to your employer and authority that you can undertake employment objectives.
- Indicate ease of communication: Communication brings effectiveness in most undertakings. The ability to effectively communicate in either English or French is essential to life in Canada.
- Provide documents of immigration and security concerns. These documents may include:
- Passport
- Police character certification
- Passport photograph
- Other proof of identity: A birth certificate or equivalent documents may be satisfying.
- Provide security Clearance in required cases.
Benefits of Obtaining a Canadian Work Visa and Permit
- Makes the holder an eligible migrant
- Allow holders to live and work in the country.
- Financial reward: Given lucrative salaries from most Canadian employers, work permit holders usually secure lucrative employment.
- Access to the Canadian society and infrastructure
- A chance to explore Canada
- Access to Canada’s advanced health sector
- Possible insurance benefits
Canadian firms that can sponsor your visa thereby fast-tracking your work permit
For most people, securing a job is a crucial factor in pursuing a work visa and permit. This means that such applicants must be informed about the firms in Canada known to sponsor visas.
Your chances of Canadian employers are not limited to the ones listed here. We only handpicked a few Canadian employers known to support migrants through the visa and permit issuance stage.
Several other Canadian firms employ and support migrants towards migration. Additional research may improve your chances. These Canadian enterprises facilitate visas and work permit processes.
- Tech Sector: Canadian tech firms are some of the biggest employers of migrants. This is because Canada shares a lot of industries with the US. This creates the avenue of worker migration. Canadian Tech firms that sponsor visas that may help with the work permit process include CGI Inc., Shopify, Google, etc.
- Agriculture: Not just crop farming but animal husbandry is a huge aspect of Canadian exports. To be able to produce even more in the area of agriculture, the country has made it easier for businesses in the category to employ foreigners and migrate them. Examples of agricultural firms that may facilitate your visa and work permit when employment qualifies for sponsorship are Cargill Canada, Viterra, Saputo Inc., etc.
- Manufacturing: Canada is a huge manufacturing market. This huge market is made possible by the high loyalty of local consumers to local industries’ products. In the neighborhood are the US, and Mexico, two populous countries that highly patronize Canadian products. Canadian manufacturers that sponsor work visas are Lafarge Canada, PepsiCo Canada, Bombardier Inc., etc.
- Banking and Finance: The banking sector is one of the most prominent given visa sponsorship. Banks in Canada just like banks in most other places appreciate positive international projections. Of course, they handle money which is what the world usually revolves around. Canadian banks that facilitate visa sponsorships include Royal Bank of Canada, HSBC Bank Canada, Bank of Montreal, etc.
Work Visa or Permit Options
Canada operates different visa, migrant, or immigrant categories with corresponding work permits. Regarding your Canadian work visa, these are common work visas:
TEER 0: Ideal for migrating individuals in managerial positions with advanced education.
TEER 1: Go for this if you possess a university degree or equivalent qualification.
TEER 2: Best for individuals with a diploma, or apprenticeship of at least 2 years in the employment field.
TEER 3: Ideal for migrating workers with two years or less of apprenticeship experience or individuals possessing a diploma.
TEER 4: Best for jobs requiring a high school diploma or a learn-on-the-go experience.
TEER 5: Ideal for migrating workers requiring no formal education where such a job can be temporal or seasonal.
Common work permits.
Work permits that may most likely relate to potential migrant workers are those requiring LMIA. Other work permits exist but may be dedicated to a particular set of people for example, a Post-graduate work permit is reserved for individuals who graduated from a Canadian school, Bridging open work permit is reserved for immigrants on an awaiting list of permanent residence. Note that other work permits exist, further research or expert consultation may help you determine the one for you.
Conclusion
Anyone dreaming about migrating and working in Canada must include a visa and work permit in their action plan. That’s the legitimate way to live and work in the country as a migrant. It is a good direction that you are learning about these things at this point. We hope you find our information useful.