How can I get a Canadian work visa?

Many students take part-time jobs to save the cost of studying in Canada, or stay in Canada for employment after graduation. Either way, they need to apply for a work visa. Here is a brief introduction to the handling of work visas in Canada.

I. Working while studying in Canada

As an international student, as long as you meet the following criteria, you can work 20 hours a week on or off campus in Canada during the semester (and during the semester break) without applying for a work permit:

1. You have a valid study permit.

You are a full-time student.

3. You are studying in a designated learning institution of an institution of higher learning in Quebec, or studying vocational courses in a middle school.

4. You are studying academic, vocational or professional training courses for at least six months and plan to get a degree, diploma or certificate.

5. Have a valid social insurance number (SIN).

Once you no longer meet these requirements, you must stop working. For example, if you are no longer a full-time student, you cannot continue working without a work permit.

Second, be a cooperative exchange student or intern.

Studying academic, professional or vocational training courses in designated learning institutions, involving work experience such as cooperative projects or internships, requires a work permit and a study permit. To apply for this work permit, you need to prove that your work experience is very important for completing your course (this certificate can be a letter of recommendation from your university or a course certificate). Work experience should not account for more than 50% of your whole study plan. If you are learning English or French as a second language (ESL/FSL), or attending general interest courses or preparatory courses, you are not eligible to apply for a cooperative work permit.

Third, work in Canada after graduation

Your Canadian study permit will expire 90 days after graduation, so if you want to stay in Canada to find a job after graduation, you need to apply for a work permit under the Post-graduation Work Permit Program (PGWPP) during this period. This will enable you to gain work experience after graduation and help you obtain permanent residence through the fast entry channel. You can apply for this if you study full-time for at least eight months in a row.

If you study in Canada for more than 8 months but less than 2 years, your work permit will be valid for the same period as your study. If you study for two years or more, your work permit is valid for three years.

Other qualification requirements of PGWPP include:

1. You must be at least 18 years old.

You must have a valid study permit before applying.

You must complete and pass your study plan and have written confirmation, such as transcripts, to prove that you are qualified to obtain your degree, diploma or certificate.

You graduated from a public or private university.

To apply for a work permit after graduation, you must first look at the guide and the list of documents. You can apply online or by email, answer all questions seriously and truthfully, and pay the application fee. The validity of your passport must exceed the validity of the work permit you applied for.

4. Become a permanent resident of Canada through fast entry.

If you want to stay and work in Canada as a permanent resident, you can immigrate as a skilled worker through the fast entry program. International students who have graduated from Canada may already have many qualities required for permanent residence, including proficiency in English and/or French, familiarity with Canadian society and qualified work experience.

Applicants need to fill out a resume of Canada's rapid immigration, providing information about your identity, employment skills, language test results, work experience and any family members who will be with you in Canada. If you don't have a job invitation or nomination from a province or region at this stage, you must apply for the Employment Bank of the Canadian government, which is an online job search tool that can connect qualified technical candidates with employers and jobs in Canada.

If your situation changes, for example, you get different language test scores, or your work experience/education changes, you should update your resume of rapid immigration in time.

After you apply for fast immigration, your personal data will be ranked using a comprehensive ranking system based on points. Score according to effective job opportunities, study experience in Canada, French/English skills and provincial or regional nominations.

The highest ranked candidate will receive an invitation to apply for permanent residence within 90 days. If you don't receive this invitation, you can stay in the application for up to 12 months, and then you can re-enter the applicant group with your new personal data.

Your job offer may require a labor market impact assessment (LMIA). This is an application made by a Canadian employer to support your job opportunity, indicating that no Canadian worker can hold the position. However, some job opportunities are not subject to this restriction.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) social security number

The social security number (SIN) is a nine-digit number. You need to work in Canada or get benefits and services from government projects. International students applying for price increase need to provide their original study permit certificate, which must indicate "acceptable for employment" or "can work in Canada". If your study permit does not have any of the above conditions or remarks, you must contact the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship of Canada (IRCC) to find out whether you are eligible to apply for the revised study permit.

If your study permit clearly stipulates that you are not allowed to work in Canada, this rule may change if you change your study plan. In this case, you must apply for changing the conditions of the study permit and pay the corresponding fees.