What you should know

If you want to work in Canada, you must understand the following important information:

• Your employer helps determine if you are eligible. Your employer may need to get a labour market opinion from Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). A labour market opinion confirms that the employer can fill the job with a foreign worker. To find more information about which jobs do not require a labour market opinion, see Eligibility to apply. You can also find out more about HRSDC labour market opinions in theFrequently asked questions section.
• To work in Canada, you must meet the general requirements for entering the country and for staying here, in addition to those for getting a work permit. This means you may need a temporary resident visa. For more information on visas, see Visiting Canada.
• A work permit is not an immigration document. It does not allow you to live in Canada permanently. To live here permanently, you must qualify under an immigration category, such as skilled worker. Live–in caregivers can stay in Canada permanently if they meet certain requirements. For more information, seeImmigrating to Canada and the Live-In Caregiver Program.
• If you want your spouse or common–law partner and your dependent children to come with you to Canada, they must apply to do so.

 

more http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who.asp#what

Canada work permit: Eligibility to apply

To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must submit the following documents:

• a job offer from a Canadian employer
• a completed application, that shows that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, and
• written confirmation from Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) that the employer can hire a foreign worker to fill the job. This confirmation is called a positive labour market opinion.
  • In most cases, it is up to your employer to get that written confirmation. Information on the labour market opinion is found underInformation for Canadian employers on the right-hand side of this page.
  • In some cases, you do not need a labour market opinion. (See Jobs that require a work permit but no labour market opinion.)

You must also do the following:

• Satisfy a visa officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your work permit.
• Show that you have enough money to support yourself and your family while you are in Canada.
• Respect the law and have no criminal record. (You may have to provide a police clearance certificate. See Police Certificates for more information.
• Show that you are not a risk to the security of Canada.
• Be in good health. (You may have to have a medical examination.)

 

more http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/apply-who-eligible.asp#outside

New Immigration criteria updated on February 27, 2008

Under changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, federal skilled worker applications are assessed for

eligibility according to the eligibility criteria listed below. Note: This does not apply to applicants intending

to live in the province of Quebec.

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after February 27, 2008. If you applied before February 27,

2008, your application will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

In order for your application to be eligible for processing, you must either:

have an offer of arranged employment, OR

be a foreign national living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international

student, OR

be a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the following occupations:

0111: Financial Managers

0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers

0311: Managers in Health Care

0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers

0632: Accommodation Service Managers

0711: Construction Managers

1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants

2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists

2143: Mining Engineers

2144: Geological Engineers

2145: Petroleum Engineers

3111: Specialist Physicians

3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians

3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists

3143: Occupational Therapists

3142: Physiotherapists

3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors

3152: Registered Nurses

3215: Medical Radiation Technologists

3233: Licensed Practical Nurses

4121: University Professors

4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors

6241: Chefs

6242: Cooks

7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades

7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades

7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews

7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)

7242: Industrial Electricians

7251: Plumbers

7252: Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers

7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators

7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics

7371: Crane Operators

7372: Drillers and Blasters – Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction

8221: Supervisors, Mining and Quarrying

8222: Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service

9212: Supervisors, Petroleum, Gas and Chemical Processing and Utilities

These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after February 27, 2008. If you applied before February 27,

2008, your application will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time.

NOTE: the occupations above are all Skill Type 0 (managerial occupations) or Skill Level A (professional

occupations) or B (technical occupations and skilled trades) on the Canadian National Occupational Classification

list.

If you are not sure if you should apply as a skilled worker, you can use the eligibility tool to get an idea of

whether your application would be eligible for processing.

Federal skilled worker applicants who do not meet the above criteria will be informed of this and will have their

processing fee refunded.