Guide 5553 - Applying for a work permit inside Canada – extend, change conditions, initial and open work permits - online application 

Overview

This guide is designed to help you determine if you are eligible to apply for an extension of your work permit or change conditions of your stay in Canada, including applying for an initial work permit (see the section Who may apply for a work permit from within Canada?).

Determining eligibility

Workers are a class of temporary resident who are legally authorized to enter Canada temporarily to work. They are subject to various conditions.

This application guide is for temporary residents who are already in Canada and wish to:

• extend their stay as a worker;
• change conditions of their stay as a worker;
• change their class to include permission to work; or
• correct problems in their status.

If you are currently working in Canada and want to change conditions on your work permit (e.g. change length, employer or occupation), you must apply and obtain a new work permit. You should apply before making the change. For any permit, you should always apply at least 30 days before your status expires.

Normally, a work permit must be applied for prior to coming to Canada. Only in a few special circumstances presented in this guide can an initial work permit be applied for within Canada:

• you presently hold a valid study or work permit;
• you are the spouse of a study or work permit holder;
• you were previously authorized to work without a permit;
• you presently hold a valid Temporary Resident Permit;
• you are a refugee claimant or an applicant for permanent residence in Canada under section 207 of the IRPR, or
• you are a trader or investor, intra-company transferee or professional under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Loss of temporary resident status:

You lose your temporary resident status and authorization to work if your status has expired, you did not comply with all of the conditions on your permit or you have worked or studied without a required permit. If you have lost your status, you may have committed an offence under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and could be subject to an admissibility hearing that could lead to your removal from Canada.

If your temporary resident status expired and you wish to stay in Canada, you may apply for restoration of status within 90 days of your permit expiry date or you must leave Canada. If you wish to apply for restoration, complete the enclosed application providing full details of how you came to commit the offence. There is no guarantee that your application will be accepted. See the section Restoration of Status.

Important: Applying for more than one service at the same time

You may apply for a study permit by completing the IMM 5709 form. Details and instructions on how to apply for a study permit from within Canada may be obtained by visiting our web page Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada as a Student.

After reading this guide, if you believe you are eligible to apply then you should proceed as instructed below:

• Gather all the necessary documents. They are listed on the Document Checklist [IMM 5556](PDF, 0.82 MB).

  Note: You will receive a personalized document checklist when you apply online.

• Pay the fees.
• Fill in the forms carefully and completely. Keep a copy for your records.
• Sign and date your forms.
• Submit your application, required fees and all supporting documents online.

Status in Canada

Who receives temporary resident status?

All persons coming to Canada who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents can request to enter as visitor, student or worker. When they enter Canada they are given temporary resident status for a limited period of time.

How do I know the expiry date of my temporary resident status?

Temporary residents travelling with passports:

When you arrived in Canada and gave your passport to the officer, they authorized your stay by placing a stamp in your passport and/or issuing an additional document. Check your passport. If you find a stamp, it should look like one of these.

For example, if the officer specified a date as shown in the above illustration, your temporary resident status would expire on June 30^th, 1993.

If there is no stamp, a handwritten date or document in your passport, your temporary resident status will expire six months from the day you arrived in Canada.

If you were given a visitor record, study or work permit, the expiry date is marked on the document.

When applying to change conditions or extend your stay in Canada, you are required to submit photocopies of passport pages clearly showing the stamp made by Canadian authorities on your most recent entry to Canada.

Travelling outside Canada while your work permit is being processed:

If you have applied to extend your work permit and plan to travel outside Canada while your application is in process, you can leave and come back. However, one of three things will happen when you return to Canada:

• If we haven’t made a decision on your work permit, you may be allowed to come back to Canada as a visitor. If this is the case, you can’t work until you get your new work permit. The officer at the port of entry may ask you to prove that you have enough money to support yourself in Canada.
• You may be allowed to come back to Canada as a worker, if the officer at the port of entry determines that we issued your work permit while you were away.
• You may be asked to apply for a new work permit at the port of entry.

May I leave, then re-enter Canada, if I still have a valid work permit?

If you’re from a visa-exempt country

Along with your work permit, you need:

• a valid passport and
• an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (if you plan to travel to Canada by air)

If you received your initial work permit before August 1, 2015, you need to apply for an eTA if you don’t already have one.

If you received your initial work permit on or after August 1, 2015, you already have an eTA. We automatically issued it to you when we approved your initial work permit. It’s valid for 5 years or until your passport expires. See your letter of introduction for details.

Renewing your work permit

If your application for a work permit renewal is approved on or after May 1, 2017, we will automatically issue you an eTA.

If your work permit was approved before May 1, 2017 and you don’t already have an eTA, you’ll need to get one before you return to Canada by air.

If you’re from a visa-required country

You’ll need a valid visa and a valid work permit to return to Canada to work. You don’t need a valid visa if you return directly from a visit only to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon. You must re-apply for a visitor visa if your visa:

• has expired or
• was only valid for a single entry to Canada

Eligible citizens of select visa-required countries will receive an eTA when they renew their work permit. The eTA is electronically linked to the passport you used to renew your permit and is valid for five years or until your passport expires. You can only use the eTA when you fly to, or transit through Canada by air.  You’ll receive a letter from us with information about your eTA number and expiration date.

Working in Canada

What is work?

Work is an activity for which wages or commission is earned, or even if unpaid, that competes directly with activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents on the Canadian labour market.

What is a work permit?

A work permit is a written authorization to work in Canada issued by an officer to a person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. It is required if the employment location is in Canada, whether or not the employer is in Canada. 

Employer Compliance Regime

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) contain requirements that enable Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to better protect your rights when you come to work in Canada by ensuring that employers respect the terms of their offers of employment.

In a work permit application, the employers will be evaluated on:

• whether the offer of employment is genuine,
• past history of employers compliance to the commitments outlined in offers of employment to foreign workers hired in the past six years in respect to wages, working conditions and the occupation,
• compliance with Federal-Provincial or Territorial Laws, and
• if the employer has been banned from hiring a foreign national as per the IRPR.

In cases where the employer is found to have not complied with previous commitments to foreign workers, the employer may be deemed ineligible to hire a foreign worker for two years.

You must not work for an ineligible employer. Check our webpage to view the current List of Ineligible Employers.

What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?

An LMIA is an assessment provided by ESDC which enables an IRCC or CBSA officer to determine whether the employment of the foreign worker is likely to have a positive or neutral impact on the labour market in Canada. An LMIA may be required in order for a work permit to be issued. The LMIA must be included with your work permit application.

Offers of Employment from a specific employer for LMIA-exempt foreign workers

If an employer is offering you a specific job, then you need an Offer of Employment number. In order to obtain this number, the employer must use the Employer Portal to:

• submit the offer of employment information and
• pay the $230 employer compliance fee or upload proof of their fee exemption

Make sure the employer gives you the Offer of Employment number before you submit your work permit application. The Offer of Employment number starts with an “A” and is followed by 7 numbers.

Who may apply for a work permit from within Canada?

Important: The ability to apply in Canada does not guarantee acceptance. Eligibility criteria for the category of work permit must be met.

The following persons may apply for a work permit from within Canada:

• Holders of work or study permits and their family members;

  Note: If you’re a skilled foreign worker, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit.

  Learn more about this work permit

• Successful graduates from a program at a Canadian university, community, college, CÉGEP, or publicly funded trade/technical school (or from a Canadian private institution authorized by provincial statute to confer degrees) who wish to work for a maximum of one or two years in employment related to their course of study. The maximum length will depend on the length and location of their studies, and the location of their employer. Graduates must submit an application for a work permit within 90 days of the issuance of your final marks. Their study permit must be valid upon submission of their application for a work permit. For further details refer to the Stay in Canada after graduation;
• Persons currently working in Canada, who are not business visitors and who don’t require a work permit, who are applying for secondary employment in Canada;
• Holders of temporary resident permits (TRPs) valid for a minimum of 6 months and their family members;
• Refugee claimants and persons subject to an unenforceable removal order;
• In-Canada permanent resident applicants and their family members who are members of the following classes, determined eligible for permanent resident (PR) status: live-in-caregiver, interim pathway for caregivers, spouse or common-law partner, protected persons, and humanitarian and compassionate considerations (H&C);
• Persons whose work permits were authorized by a migration office abroad, where the permit was not issued at a port of entry;
• Mexican citizens who have been admitted to Canada as visitors may apply for a work permit under any CUSMA category. U.S. citizens admitted as visitors may apply in Canada under the Professional or Intra-company Transferee CUSMA categories only. These provisions are in accordance with reciprocal arrangements.

What requirements must I meet to obtain a work permit?

You must show the officer that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) and that you will be in Canada for a temporary stay. You must:

• satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your employment,
• show that you have enough money during your stay in Canada to take care of yourself and your family members and to return home,
• be law-abiding and have no record of criminal activity (you may be asked to provide a Police Clearance Certificate),
• not be a danger to the security of Canada,
• be in good health and complete a medical examination, if required,
• not intend to engage in employment with an employer on the List of Ineligible Employers,
• not intend to engage in employment with an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages,
• provide any additional documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility.

What information and documentation do I require?

In addition to the requirements for all temporary residents, you must provide:

• a copy of the LMIA provided by ESDC, if applicable, and a copy of your job offer letter from your prospective employer;
  or
  the Offer of Employment number (The Offer of Employment number starts with an “A” and is followed by 7 numbers). Your employer should provide it to you;
• evidence that you meet the requirements of the job, possibly including specific educational requirements and a valid Canadian provincial or territorial trade certificate;
• a copy of the Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) if you work in Québec or will be working in Québec. If you do not need an ESDC confirmation you will usually not need a CAQ;
  

  Note: If you are in the Live-in Caregiver program and are still within your qualifying period for permanent residence (i.e. within 4 years of your arrival in Canada), please provide a copy of your employment contract and your LMIA which was issued on or before November 30, 2014.

  Note: If you are in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program and want to extend your status as a worker to reach the maximum duration allowed under the bilateral agreement or arrangement, you will need to provide proof of health insurance that is valid for the duration of the time you are seeking to extend your stay. If proof of your insurance is not valid for the entire period for which you are seeking an extension of the work permit, the duration of your work permit may be shortened accordingly. This only applies to IEC participants who want to extend their status as workers with the same employer and under the same conditions of their initial work permit.

• If you are a refugee claimant you will need to prove that you cannot support yourself without recourse to social assistance (welfare). For example, if you are currently receiving social assistance, attach a letter from the provincial social services department indicating you are receiving money or attach a cheque stub if it indicates clearly that is was issued by the provincial social services department.
• If you are seeking an open work permit as a vulnerable worker, you will need to provide proof that you are experiencing abuse or that you are at risk of abuse in the context of your employment in Canada. Learn more about the information and documentation you can provide to support evidence of abuse or risk of abuse.

Are there any conditions on my work permit?

An officer may impose, vary or cancel conditions when issuing a work permit. These may include one or more of the following:

• the type of employment in which you may work;
• the employer for whom you may work;
• where you may work;
• how long you may continue to work;
• the times or period of work.

When is a medical examination required?

If you plan to remain in Canada for six months or less:

• you generally do not require a medical exam.

If you plan to remain in Canada for another six months or longer:

You will need a medical exam if you have lived temporarily for six or more months in a row

• in one or more of these countries or territories;
• in the one year immediately before the date of your application. (This applies even if you are a citizen of a country that does not need a visa to enter Canada.)

Find out more by checking the Medical examination requirements for temporary residents.

Medical instructions

You may either:

• complete an upfront medical examination by contacting a Panel Physician; or
• wait until your application is reviewed and medical instructions are provided to you by the immigration office.

Get the instructions to complete the medical examination.

Restoration of status

You may be able to restore your status as a visitor, student or worker within 90 days of losing it, if you lost it because:

• you stayed in Canada longer than the period authorized for your stay (but not longer than 90 days).
• you changed employers, location of employment, or type of work (occupation or level of responsibility) before obtaining a new work permit.
• you changed the type of studies, educational institutions, location of studies, or times and periods of studies without applying to change these conditions on your study permit if they were specified on your study permit.

You may still be eligible for restoration if you continue to meet the initial requirements for your stay and have not failed to comply with other conditions imposed.

If you wish to obtain a new study or work permit and restore your temporary resident status, you must

• submit your application within 90 days of losing your status
• explain all of the facts and circumstances that prevented you from complying with the conditions of your permit
• keep meeting the requirements for your stay
• meet all the remaining conditions listed on your permit, and
• pay your fees

Restoration applies to each family member who has lost their status. There is no guarantee that your application will be approved.

Completing the forms

• Application to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada [IMM 5710] (PDF, 0.58 MB)
• Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 0.80 MB), if applicable
  • Must be notarized to be considered valid.
  • If you are not in the same country as your common-law partner at the time of signature, each person can present their own declaration and submit the IMM 5409 with the application.
• Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 1.52 MB), if applicable
• Authority to release personal information to a designated individual [IMM 5475] (PDF, 1.52 MB), if applicable

Use the Document Checklist [IMM 5556] (PDF, 0.82 MB) to assist you in gathering the supporting documents to submit with you application.

Be complete and accurate

Complete all sections. If a section does not apply to you, write "Not Applicable" or "NA", except for your name (last name and given name[s]). Refer to questions 1 and 2 under "Personal Details" section for further instructions.

If your application is incomplete it may be rejected and this will delay the processing of your application.

Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker (IMM 5710)

Who must fill out this application form?

This form must be completed by each person who wants to apply for an extension of their work permit or change conditions of their stay in Canada, including applying for an initial work permit.

Completing the form

Question 1

Type your Unique Client Identifier number (UCI).

Note: The UCI or Client ID can be found on your study or work permit under the section “Country of Citizenship”.

Question 2

From the list, select the language (English or French) in which you would like to receive your service.

Question 3

Check the appropriate box or boxes to indicate if you are applying for:

• A work permit with the same employer
• An initial work permit or a work permit with a new employer
• Restoration of your status as a worker
• An initial or an extension of a temporary resident permit

Personal details

Language

Question 1

1. From the list, select your first (native) language. This is the language that you learned at home during your childhood and which you still understand.

   Note: If your native language does not appear in this list, select “other”.

2. If your native language is not English or French, write which one you use mostly:
   • English
   • French
   • Neither

Question 2

From the list, select whether you are able to communicate in English, French or both:

• English
• French
• Both
• Neither

Question 3

Check Yes or No to indicate if you have taken a test from a designated testing agency to assess your proficiency in English or French.

Passport

Contact information

Question 1

Indicate your current mailing address (where information should be mailed) by typing the following information:

• Post Office Box (P.O. Box) number, if applicable. If you do not indicate post office box number, the Street number must be provided.
• Apartment (Apt.) or Unit, if applicable
• Street number (No.), if applicable. This must be provided if you did not type in a P.O. Box number
• Street name, if applicable. Do not abbreviate words (Street, Avenue, Boulevard, Drive, etc.) except for directions (NW, SE, W, etc.).
• City or Town
• Province
• Postal code

Note: All correspondence will go to this address unless you indicate your e-mail address.

If you wish to have a representative who can conduct business on your behalf, you must provide their email and mailing address in this section and on the Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) form.

Question 2

Check the box to indicate whether your residential address (where you live) is the same as your mailing address. If "No", type the following information:

• Apartment (Apt.) or Unit, if applicable
• Street Number (No.)
• Street Name
• City or Town
• Country
• Province
• Postal Code

Question 3

Check the appropriate box to indicate if the telephone number is from Canada/the United States (US) or Other (any other country).

From the list, select the type of telephone:

• Residence (home)
• Cellular (cell/mobile)
• Business (work)

Type your telephone number including the country code, area/regional codes, etc.

If you have an extension number, write it after your phone number under “Ext.”

Question 4

Check the appropriate box to indicate if your additional telephone number is from Canada/the United States or Other (any other country).

From the list, select the type of telephone:

• Residence (home)
• Cellular (cell/mobile)
• Business (work)

Type your telephone number including the country code, area/regional codes, etc.

If you have an extension number, write it after your phone number under “Ext.”

Question 5

Check the appropriate box to indicate if the facsimile (fax) number is from Canada and United States or Other (any other country).

If applicable, type your facsimile (fax) number, including country code, area/regional codes, etc.

Question 6

If applicable, type your e-mail address using a format similar to the following: name@provider.net

Note: Please ensure this email address is checked regularly. Any emails sent to you by CIC will end in “@cic.gc.ca”, or “@Ca-ciconline.com”, or “@international.gc.ca”. Please add these to your “safe senders” list in your email program and check the junk mail folder in case important emails get filtered. If CIC is advised that the email address you provided is not functional or no longer exists, we will communicate with you by mail. By indicating your e-mail address, you are hereby authorizing transmission of correspondence including file and personal information to be sent electronically to you at the address provided.

Coming into Canada

Question 1

Provide the date and the place where you first entered in Canada

Question 2

1. Indicate the purpose of your original visit:
   • Business
   • Tourism
   • Study
   • Work
   • Other (medical visit, transit, etc.)
   • Family Visit
2. If you choose "Other" in question 1a), provide details.

Question 3

Provide the date and the place of your recent entry to Canada

Question 4

Provide the document number of your most recent Visitor Record, study or work permit.

Details of intended work in Canada

Education

Check the box to indicate if you have any post-secondary education (including university, college or apprenticeship training).

The following table provides examples of post-secondary education:

Trade / Apprenticeship

Training completed in a specific trade, such as carpentry or auto mechanics.

Non-university certificate / diploma

Training in a profession that requires formal education but not at the university level (for example, dental technician or engineering technician).

Bachelor’s degree

Academic degree awarded by a college or university to those who completed an undergraduate curriculum; also called a baccalaureate. Examples include a Bachelor of Arts, Science or Education.

Master’s degree

Academic degree awarded by a graduate school of a college or university. You must have completed a Bachelor’s degree before a Master’s degree can be earned.

PhD

Highest university degree, usually based on at least three years of graduate studies and a thesis. Normally, you must have completed a Master’s degree before a PhD can be earned.

If you checked “Yes”, provide full details of your highest level of post-secondary education:

• Enter the dates (year and month) you attended the institution,
• Field(s) of study (mechanics, social sciences, medicine, etc.),
• School or Facility name,
• City or Town,
• From the list, select the country, and
• Province or State.

Employment (Work/Occupation)

For co-op and post-graduation work permit applicants: information in this section are not required.

Provide the following information about your employment for the last 10 years. If you are retired, provide the 10 years before your retirement.

Question 1

Current Activity / Occupation

Provide details about your current Activity / Occupation:

• Enter the dates (year and month) you have been working at your occupation,
• The activity/occupation or a brief description of your position. If you do not work, describe what you are currently doing (retired, not working, going to school, etc.),
• Indicate the name of the company or employer or facility where you work,
• City or Town,
• Country,
• Province/State, if applicable.

Question 2

Previous Activity / Occupation

Provide details of your previous Activity / Occupation for the past 10 years. If you are retired, provide the 10 years before your retirement:

Note: If you need more space, print out an additional page of the form, complete this section and submit it with your application.

Background information

All questions in this section must be answered or the application will be considered incomplete and will be returned.

Question 1

Check the box to indicate if:

1. you or any of your family members have ever had tuberculosis of the lungs or been in close contact with a person with tuberculosis within the past two years.
2. you have any physical or mental disorder that would require social or health services other than medication during your stay in Canada.
3. If you checked “Yes” to any of the above questions, provide details and the name of the family member, if applicable.

Question 2

Check the box to indicate if you have ever:

1. remained beyond the validity of your status, attended school without authorization or worked without authorization in Canada?
2. been refused a visa or permit, denied entry or ordered to leave Canada or any other country.
3. applied previously to enter or remain in Canada.
4. If you checked “Yes” to one of the above questions, provide details.

Question 3

1. Check the box to indicate if you have ever:
   1. committed,
   2. been arrested for, or
   3. been charged with or convicted of any criminal offence in any country.
2. If you checked “Yes,” provide details.

Question 4

1. Check the box to indicate if you have ever served in any military, militia, civil defence unit, or serve in a security organization or police force (including non-obligatory national service, reserve or voluntary units).
2. If you checked “Yes,” provide your dates of service and the countries where you served.

Question 5

Check “Yes” or “No” to indicate if you have ever been a member or associated with any political party, or other group or organization which has engaged in or advocated violence as means to achieving a political or religious objective, or which has been associated with criminal activity at any time.

Question 6

Check “Yes” or “No” to indicate if you have ever witnessed or participated in the ill treatment of prisoners or civilians, looting or desecration of religious buildings.

To complete your form:

1. Once the application is completed, click on the “Validate” button located at the top or bottom of the form. This will generate a barcode page (page 5 of 5) - see image below.

   Note: The barcode page will not appear if you fill out your application by hand.

2. If you are 18 years of age or older, you must sign and date in the boxes provided at the bottom of the page.

   If you are less than 18 years of age, your form must be signed by one of your parents or a legal guardian.

   Note: By signing, you certify that you fully understand the questions asked, and that the information you provided is complete, accurate, and factual.

   Note: If you are applying online, do not print out your application form to sign it. Learn more about how to sign your online application.

    

Paying the fees

Required fees

When you apply online, you’ll be asked to pay a Processing Fee for each service that you require. All fees must be submitted with your application.

For information including eligibility, fees and required documents for studying in Canada, refer to the guide Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada - Student (IMM 5552) or consult the Help Centre.

You may submit an application for any of or a combination of the following services:

• To extend your stay in Canada as a worker;
• To request an initial work permit;
• To restore your status as worker (restoration of temporary resident status due to loss of status).

If a decision has been made and you have not been found to be a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person, but are awaiting an appeal in federal court, you are required to pay the processing fee as a decision has been made on your initial application.

Use this chart to verify the fees required for the services you are requesting. If you or your family members are applying for other services, you can pay the fees all together.

Make sure that you are eligible before you pay your fees and that you provide all the information requested before you submit the application. The work permit processing fee ($155) will not be refunded, regardless of the final decision once the Case Processing Centre has started processing the application. For example, if your work permit has expired and you incorrectly apply for an extension of work permit, no refund for the extension will be provided and you will be asked to provide a second fee for the restoration.

If we determine that you are not eligible, your application will be considered “processed” and your processing fees ($155) will not be refunded. If you apply again, you will have to pay the processing fees again.

If your application is refused, we will refund the open work permit fee.

Submitting your application

Online Instructions

To apply online, you must have:

• Access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents to upload, and
• A valid credit card to pay with

You will be required to create a profile and to register or log in using GCKey or Sign In Partner.

What happens next?

If you need to take any further action regarding your application, we will inform you in writing.

If your application for a work permit is approved, an immigration document will be sent to you. If your application is refused, you can only stay in Canada until the expiry date of your current temporary resident status.

If you applied for restoration of your temporary resident status, you will receive a letter advising you of the decision and instructions to follow.

If your application is rejected as "incomplete", it is considered to have never been submitted and therefore you will have to re-apply. If your application is referred to a local office, you will be notified of this and will subsequently be contacted by this office.

There are certain things you can do to help ensure that your application is processed as fast as possible:

• Ensure that all the documentation and information requested are provided with your application
• Tell us if your contact information changes, including:
  • mailing address
  • telephone numbers
  • facsimile number (fax)
  • e-mail address

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