Thread by @Olufemiloye

Thinking of coming to Canada temporarily on a work visa? This is for you.

You will find info on
- Available Canadian work visas for foreigners
- Requirements for temporary work visas in Canada
- Things to ask anyone telling you to bring money for a Canadian work visa.

A thread.

Are there temporary work visas that you can apply for to only come to Canada to work for some time? YES!

Canada has more than 60 immigration programs, but as with many other programs (study, Express Entry, etc) you know, there are certain requirements to be met for a work visa.

The categories of 'temporary work visas' that you may be eligible for in Canada as a foreigner are:

- Open work permits
- Temporary Foreign Worker Program
- Post Graduation Work Permit
- Co-op work permit
- International Experience Canada Program

As you may have thought, each of the work visa categories have sub-categories & specific requirements. There are, however, general conditions that must be met, to begin with.

I will make this thread with direct links to the Government of Canada website where you can read more.

- Open Work Permits
As implied, this is open & no job offer in Canada is required.

However, only restricted categories of applicants are eligible. You may be eligible if you are

- A spouse of a temporary resident (i.e foreign student/worker).

Details at bit.ly/2rJYlqk

You may also be eligible for an open work permit if

- You are working in Canada, applied for permanent residence, your current work permit is about to expire, and the outcome of your PR application is still pending. (Bridging Open Work Permit).

Details bit.ly/366RA0C

- Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) bit.ly/39u9lcy

This appears to be the most popular and allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals to fill temporary labour and skill shortages when qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents are not available.

As stated, the essence of the TFWP is to fill skill shortages. It also has different sub-categories, details available at bit.ly/37qrczg

The primary requirement for the TFWP is that you must first have a job offer & the employer must also obtain what is called an LMIA.

Getting a job offer first in Canada to be eligible for the work visa is where the challenge is for many interested applicants.

And to be eligible for a work visa, after getting the job, the employer must also be willing to process the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) will show that there is a need for a foreign worker OUTSIDE Canada to fill the job.

It will show that no Canadian worker is available to do the job, after the job has been advertised for some time.

Details at bit.ly/39uQ3np

In summary, LMIA means an employer is required to prove that a foreigner should be hired (and issued a temporary work permit) because the employer has tried to hire a Canadian, or a permanent resident or even a temporary resident in Canada, and couldn't find anyone to do the job.

If you and the employer then scale this hurdle, the employer wishing to hire you as a temporary foreign worker will then pay a processing fee of $1,000 CAD for the LMIA request, and a “privilege fee” of $100 CAD.

Once you have the LMIA, you can then apply for the work permit.

The popular sub-categories of visas under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program are:

Live-in-caregiver (closed for now) - bit.ly/2QArLzk

Global Talent Stream - bit.ly/2MKe3cm

Foreign Agricultural Worker - bit.ly/39orvw5

Click the links and read more.

- Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)

The PGWP allows graduates who have completed their programs in a designated learning institution in Canada to stay & work full time after studying.

The duration will depend on the years of study. Details available at bit.ly/2snVp2L

Please note that not all programs/institutions are eligible for a Post Graduation Work Permit in Canada.

Do your due diligence & be sure of the program/university you are applying to if you have plans to get a PGWP.

You can check eligible institutions at bit.ly/2SzJEkG

- Co-op work permit

You will be eligible for this as a foreign student in Canada if a full-time work experience/internship is part of your study curriculum.

This is different from the part-time work you can do on a study permit.

Details available at bit.ly/2Zztklt

- International Experience Canada Program

This program allows citizens of certain countries (mostly European Countries) to apply for a separate work visa in Canada.

The program requirement is at bit.ly/37qAQ4W and the eligible country list at bit.ly/2AYMR3S

In particular, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is where a lot of people get scammed or abused when they get to Canada.

It became so much that the government had to make some recent adjustment. cbc.ca/news/politics/…

So if anyone has promised to get you a temporary work visa in Canada and you do not fit into any of the categories listed above, please ask them very well and do your due diligence before handing out your hard earned money.

I hope this is of help to someone.

Cheers!