The basics of getting a Canadian work permit
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Wed, 06 Mar 2019 05:40:25 +0000
Are you currently in Canada but not yet a permanent resident? In most circumstances, if you are a foreign national, but not yet a permanent resident of Canada, you need a work permit to work in Canada.
Understanding the basics of Canadian work permits will help you follow Canadian immigration law and make your stay carefree. Let’s take a look at these basics.
How to apply for a work permit in Canada
Generally speaking, most of the work permits are tied to a precondition, a labour market impact
assessment (LMIA). If you have a positive LMIA or your work does not require an LMIA,
you may then collect the required documents and fill out the forms according to the document checklist provided by Immigration, Refugee, Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on its website here.
After you have all the required documents, you should sign and date the forms and apply to IRCC either online or by mail.
Make sure your application is complete and truthful. Incomplete applications will be returned to
you without processing. The result of providing false information is much worse; if you are shown to be misrepresenting your information, you could be barred from Canada for five years.
What information is on a work permit?
A work permit contains certain information and the conditions you must observe. You should obey the conditions on your work permit. Failing to do so may cause a removal order or future refusals.
Usually, a work permit contains your name, address, personal and employment information and the conditions you must observe.
If you have legally hired a third party to do the application on your behalf, the address will be your representative’s. The employment information usually includes the permitted employment period, the employer, profession and the work location. For an open work permit, only the expiry date of the permit is specified.
Your work permit is not an admission document
There is a reminder at the bottom of your work permit, saying “this does not authorize re-entry.”
What does this mean? This means your work permit allows you to legally stay and work in Canada, yet it cannot be used as an entry document, such as a visa or an eTA. If you leave Canada, depending on your travel document issued by which country, you may need a valid visa or an eTA to be allowed re-entry to Canada.
What are implied status and restoration?
One of the conditions of a work permit requires you to leave Canada by the expiry date of your work permit.
However, you may stay and continue your work if you have applied to extend the work permit before its expiry date until the decision on the extension application has been made. This is called “implied status.”
Restoration is a remedy when you fail to apply for an extension before your work permit expired. You may apply for restoration within 90 days after the expiry date, but in this case, you must stop working.
Keep in mind that the period before the successful restoration not only prohibits you from working in Canada, but also leaves an overstay record in your IRCC file. No matter how minor it is, it could have some negative influence on your future applications with IRCC.