Work permits: employer-specific, open, or none at all?

A Canadian work permit may be tied to one employer, allow work for most employers, or not be needed at all for a particular activity. The right route depends on the work, the employer, your current status and, if the job is in Québec, provincial requirements.

Visa Canada Rouge, an immigration consulting firm in Montréal, helps individuals and employers assess the options, prepare applications and plan next steps. Rules and fees change: check the official criteria when you apply.

Three situations, not one

1. Some work needs no permit at all

The law sets out exceptions: business visitors, foreign diplomats, crew members, performing artists, athletes and a few other categories. Each has its own conditions, and the label on a trip doesn't decide it. A business visitor, for example, comes to meet clients or visit a site on behalf of an employer abroad, and both their main source of income and their main place of business must stay outside Canada.

See IRCC's page "Who can work without a work permit".

2. The employer-specific permit

It lets you work for one employer, in a named job and often at a named location, under the conditions printed on the permit. It requires a job offer, then one of two routes:

• With an LMIA (Temporary Foreign Worker Program): your employer obtains a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment before you can apply for the permit.
• Without an LMIA (International Mobility Program): an exemption applies, for example an intra-company transfer, a trade agreement or Francophone Mobility for a job outside Québec. The employer then submits the offer of employment through the Employer Portal and, in most cases, pays a $230 compliance fee.

An exemption isn't automatic because an employer wants to hire quickly: the job and the worker must meet the criteria of the category. Checking for an exemption before launching an LMIA is usually the single biggest time saver. See our guide to the LMIA in Québec, our article LMIA or LMIA-exempt and our page for employers.

3. The open work permit

It lets you work for almost any employer in Canada, subject to the conditions on the permit. You can't simply ask for one: you have to fall into a specific category, including:

• graduates eligible for the post-graduation work permit;
• certain spouses of foreign workers or students, under precise criteria;
• International Experience Canada participants (working holiday);
• some people waiting on a permanent residence decision (bridging open work permit);
• some protected persons, refugee claimants or vulnerable workers.

An extra $100 open work permit holder fee applies. See IRCC's open work permit page and our guide who qualifies for an open work permit.

Spousal open work permits: the rules have narrowed

Since January 21, 2025, access is far tighter than it used to be:

• Spouse of a worker: the worker must hold a job in TEER category 0 or 1, or one of the selected TEER 2 and 3 occupations (nursing, construction trades, technicians and others), and must have at least 16 months left on their work permit when the spouse applies.
• Spouse of a student: the student must be enrolled in a master's program of at least 16 months, a doctoral program, certain professional university programs or certain programs designated by IRCC (see our study permit page).
• Dependent children: they are no longer eligible for the family open work permit, apart from limited exceptions.
• Permanent residence application under way: different rules apply, with a 6-month threshold on the principal applicant's permit.
• Québec: since June 5, 2026, the spouse of a temporary worker who has applied for permanent selection under the PSTQ may be eligible.

The detailed criteria are on IRCC's page on open work permits for family members of foreign workers; see also our guide to the spousal open work permit rules.

Where to apply

• From outside Canada: the usual route, with the processing times of the responsible visa office.
• From inside Canada: possible if you already hold valid status here, for example as a worker, a student or, in some cases, a visitor.
• At a port of entry: limited to certain nationalities and certain exemptions. Showing up at the border without qualifying leads to a refusal of entry.

See IRCC's work permit application page.

In Québec, one more step

For a position in Québec, the LMIA is processed jointly by Service Canada and Québec's immigration ministry (MIFI), in French, and a CAQ for workers is added. IRCC states that a worker hired through the International Mobility Program (without an LMIA) doesn't need a CAQ. Some employers can use simplified processing for eligible occupations, and wage, sector and regional restrictions may apply.

From December 17, 2028, a worker who applies for a CAQ after three years of work in Québec will have to show level 4 spoken French, with exceptions (including agricultural workers). Our guide to the LMIA in Québec covers the whole process; see also ESDC's page on hiring temporary foreign workers in Quebec.

Documents to prepare

• A valid passport and, where needed, the required entry document
• A job offer or contract with the duties, wage, location and duration
• The LMIA decision and the CAQ, if the job requires them
• For an exemption, the offer of employment number from the employer and evidence for the category
• Proof of qualifications, experience or professional licence, where the job requires it
• For an open permit, documents proving you belong to the category
• Police certificates, a medical exam, biometrics or translations, if requested

A missing document, inconsistent duties or evidence that doesn't support the claimed exemption can lead to a refusal. Before accepting an offer, see our guide a Quebec job offer: what to check.

Extending your permit and keeping your status

If IRCC receives your extension application before your permit expires, you keep your status and can keep working under the same conditions, as long as you stay in Canada, until a decision is made. With an employer-specific permit, that means the same employer and job. An application you're still preparing protects nothing.

If the permit expires with no application filed, you must stop working and check quickly whether restoring your status within 90 days is possible. See IRCC's page on extending or changing the conditions on your work permit.

Changing employers on an employer-specific permit

An employer-specific permit doesn't let you start with a new employer. Depending on the job, the new employer obtains an LMIA or shows an exemption applies, then you submit a new permit application. Starting before the authorization comes through counts as unauthorized work. Our guide to changing jobs on an employer-specific permit explains the steps.

Federal fees

• Work permit, including an extension: $155 per person
• Open work permit holder: an additional $100
• Biometrics: $85 per person, to a maximum of $170 per family
• Employer compliance fee for LMIA-exempt offers: $230, paid by the employer

These are IRCC's fees at the time of writing. They don't include the LMIA, which the employer pays, or Québec's own fees. Check the official fee list before paying.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing a business visit with work in Canada. What counts is the activity you actually do.
• Launching an LMIA without checking for exemptions.
• Assuming every spouse can get an open permit. The rules changed in January 2025.
• Filing an extension too late. Maintained status depends on applying before expiry.
• Changing employers before you're authorized.
• Forgetting the Québec step. With an LMIA, the CAQ comes on top of the federal steps.

From a work permit to permanent residence

A temporary permit doesn't grant permanent residence, but the experience you gain can count for an immigration program: in Québec, the PEQ and the PSTQ; elsewhere, Express Entry. Someone who has already applied for permanent residence may, in some categories, get a bridging open work permit. In 2026, some Québec workers who applied under the PSTQ can also get a 12-month permit.

What we do for you

• Determine whether your situation needs a permit, and which one: employer-specific, open, or none
• Look for an LMIA exemption before your employer commits to a long process
• Check whether your spouse qualifies for an open work permit under the current rules
• Coordinate the LMIA, the CAQ and the permit application in the right order
• Prepare the application and plan what follows: extension, post-graduation work permit, permanent residence

To take stock, book a one-hour online consultation or describe your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change employers on an employer-specific permit?

Not freely: the permit names the employer. You need a new permit before you start with another employer, which means a new offer and, depending on the case, a new LMIA or an exemption. Starting before the authorization comes through counts as unauthorized work.

My permit expires soon. Can I keep working?

If IRCC receives your extension application before the expiry date, you keep your status and can keep working under the same conditions, as long as you stay in Canada, until a decision is made. If the permit expires with no application filed, your situation becomes far more fragile and the options are time-limited.

Does an employer always need an LMIA?

No. Some jobs fall under an International Mobility Program exemption. The employer then submits an offer through the Employer Portal and, in most cases, pays the $230 compliance fee.

Can my spouse get an open work permit?

Possibly, depending on your job category or study program and the time left on your permit. Since January 21, 2025, access is much more limited.

Do I need a CAQ to work in Québec?

Yes for a job obtained with an LMIA. No, according to IRCC, for a worker hired through the International Mobility Program.

Can I work while my application is processed?

Only if you already hold an authorization: for example an extension filed before your permit expired, while you stay in Canada, under the same conditions. A first application in process doesn't authorize work.

Official sources: IRCC, "Work in Canada", "Who can work without a work permit", "Open work permit", "Open work permits for family members of foreign workers" (June 12, 2026), "Extend or change the conditions on your work permit" and "Citizenship and immigration application fees" (July 2, 2026); ESDC, "Hiring temporary foreign workers in the province of Quebec". Accessed September 20 and October 11, 2026.