Canada Work visa
Canadian work permits split into employer-specific permits and Open Work Permits, with eligibility driven by the underlying job offer or relationship rather than nationality alone. The 155 CAD application fee covers IRCC's assessment, with the Open Work Permit holder fee added on top for OWP cases and biometrics handled separately at a Visa Application Centre. Decisions on outside-Canada applications generally arrive in 30–37 days, with the clock effectively starting from biometric receipt rather than initial lodgement. Many cases require a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada, while several streams (intra-company transfer, CUSMA, and other International Mobility Programme categories) are LMIA-exempt. The work permit itself is printed at the port of entry, where the CBSA officer can adjust the conditions or duration based on the documents shown at the border.
| Visa required | Varies — verify on the official source |
|---|---|
| e-Visa available | No |
| Processing time | 30–37 days (source) |
| Visa fee | 155 CAD (source) |
Official resources
Requirements
Work permit eligibility
- Hold a valid job offer or LMIA-exempt offer of employment recorded in IRCC's Employer Portal.
- For LMIA-required streams: confirm that the employer holds a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada.
- Demonstrate the qualifications, experience, and credentials necessary for the role.
- Hold a passport valid for the planned engagement; the work permit cannot extend beyond passport validity.
- Meet IRCC admissibility — declare prior refusals from any country, criminal history, and immigration violations honestly.
- Meet health requirements through an IRCC-approved panel physician where triggered by the role, stay length, or country of residence.
- Provide police certificates from each country lived in for six months or more.
- Provide biometrics at a Visa Application Centre where required.
- Comply with the conditions printed at the port of entry — the work permit specifies the employer, occupation, and location, and changes generally need a fresh permit.
Documents checklist
The work-permit document set splits into employer-side material — generally provided by the Canadian sponsor — and applicant-side material covering identity, qualifications, and admissibility.
- Job offer letter or employment contract with role, salary, and location.
- Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) document or LMIA-exempt offer-of-employment number from the Employer Portal.
- Passport bio page valid for the planned engagement.
- Application form IMM 1295 (work permit) for outside-Canada cases, completed in full.
- Schedule 1 background information.
- Family Information form (IMM 5645).
- CV summarising employment history relevant to the role.
- Educational credentials (degrees, diplomas, professional licences) with translations where required.
- Police certificates from each country lived in for six months or more.
- Medical examination through an IRCC-approved panel physician where the role or origin triggers it.
- Biometrics from a Visa Application Centre.
- Proof of funds for personal expenses where applicable.
Application steps
- Secure a job offer from a Canadian employer who has a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or who has filed an LMIA-exempt offer in the Employer Portal.
- Create an IRCC Secure Account on canada.ca and start a new work-permit application.
- Complete the online IMM 1295 form (work permit) for outside-Canada applications, plus Schedule 1 background information and the Family Information form (IMM 5645).
- Pay the 155 CAD application fee through the IRCC portal; Open Work Permit holder fees for accompanying spouses sit on top, and biometrics are charged separately at a Visa Application Centre.
- Upload supporting documents: passport bio page, offer letter or employment contract, LMIA or offer-of-employment number, CV, educational credentials, and police certificates from each country lived in for six months or more.
- Attend a Visa Application Centre for biometrics (fingerprints and photo); the 30–37 day clock effectively starts from biometric receipt.
- Complete a panel-physician medical examination if the role, stay length, or country of residence triggers it.
- Wait for the decision in the IRCC Secure Account — routine outside-Canada applications decide in 30–37 days.
- Receive the Port of Entry Letter of Introduction, travel to Canada, and collect the printed work permit from the CBSA officer at the port — the LOI itself is not the work permit.
Processing time
30–37 days (source) (typical). Processing times may vary.
Visa cost
Fee (from our data): 155 CAD (source) . Fees are subject to change; check the official source before applying.
The 155 CAD application charge is the base IRCC fee for a work permit and pays for the assessment of the offer, the LMIA or LMIA-exempt code, and the applicant's history.
Open Work Permit cases add a separate holder fee, and biometric collection at a VAC, medicals from a panel physician, courier handling, and any agent services are additional. Payment is taken by card on the IRCC portal; the employer's compliance fee and recruitment costs are paid by the employer through the Employer Portal, not the applicant's account.
IRCC updates fee tables periodically, so the 155 CAD amount should be reconfirmed on canada.ca right before lodgement.
Common mistakes to avoid
Canada's standard work permit fee is 155 CAD with a 30–37 day processing target — the total commonly rises once the open work permit holder fee is included, and the timeline only applies to applications submitted from outside Canada.
- Confusing employer-specific work permits with open work permits. Each has its own eligibility test, document set, and supporting requirement (LMIA versus exemption code); using the wrong template forces a refusal or return.
- Submitting an offer letter without the required LMIA or LMIA-exempt offer in the Employer Portal. IRCC checks both the employer's compliance fee and the offer record before processing — missing either stops the file.
- Underestimating biometric obligations. Most first-time applicants need biometrics at a VAC; the 30–37 day clock is paced from when biometrics are received, not from initial lodgement.
- Forgetting the open-work-permit holder fee on spousal or post-graduation streams. The 155 CAD figure is just the base; OWP cases add a separate fee on top.
- Misreporting prior US visa refusals or removals. The IMM 5645 schedule asks plainly; misrepresentation triggers a five-year bar.
- Letting credentials lapse before arrival. Police certificates and medicals have shelf lives — get them done close enough to lodgement that they still cover the date of arrival.
- Treating the work permit as an entry document. It is a letter of introduction; the actual permit is printed at the port of entry, where the CBSA officer can adjust the conditions or duration.
Country context & recent trends
The 30–37 day target is for outside-Canada work-permit applications and assumes a complete file. Inside-Canada, post-graduation, and bridging applications follow separate timelines, often longer.
Recent rule changes
2024 introduced sharp tightening of the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker programme, narrower eligibility for spouses of certain workers and students, and a refreshed compliance fee schedule for employers. The 155 CAD applicant fee remained, but the OWP holder fee for accompanying spouses rose.
Regional appointments
VAC slots in Manila, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Riyadh experience the heaviest demand during the November–March migration peak. Project-driven surges (energy, construction, healthcare seasonal staffing) also push biometrics queues. Smaller VACs in Eastern Europe and Latin America clear within a week even at peak.
How it compares to nearby destinations
For comparative North American work-permit planning, Canada sits next to the US and Mexico — three quite different employment-immigration frameworks.
| Destination | Visa required | Typical processing | Indicative fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (Work Permit) | Yes | 30–37 days | 155 CAD |
| United States (H-1B / L-1) | Yes | Weeks – months (with premium-processing options) | ~ 460–4,000 USD (employer-paid) |
| Mexico (Resident Visa for Work) | Yes | ~ 2–4 weeks | ~ 51 USD + employment-permit fees |
Canada's 155 CAD applicant charge is the lowest headline fee in this comparison, although LMIA-related employer costs and biometrics add to the practical total.
Frequently asked questions
-
How long does a Canadian work permit application take?
Outside-Canada work-permit applications generally decide in 30–37 days for routine cases, with biometrics and medicals adding several weeks where required. Inside-Canada and post-graduation files follow separate timelines that can run substantially longer.
-
What does the 155 CAD application charge cover?
The 155 CAD fee is the base IRCC charge for assessing the work-permit application, including the offer-of-employment record and the applicant's history. Open Work Permit cases add a separate holder fee, and biometrics, panel-physician medicals, courier handling, and any agent costs are billed separately.
-
Can my spouse work while I'm on a work permit?
Spouses of certain skilled-stream workers can apply for an Open Work Permit, with the OWP holder fee added on top of the standard 155 CAD figure. Eligibility tightened in 2024, so check whether the primary occupation and TEER level qualify before assuming spousal work rights apply.
-
What if my application is refused?
Work-permit refusals do not carry a merits appeal for outside-Canada applications, so the practical step is to address the specific GCMS-noted reasons and re-lodge. Where the refusal turns on the offer document or LMIA itself, the employer's portal records may need correction before re-applying.
-
Do I need an LMIA?
Many work permits require a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada, while exemption-coded streams (intra-company transfer, CUSMA, IMP categories) do not. The employer typically secures the LMIA or files the offer of employment in the Employer Portal before the worker applies.
-
Can the permit be extended in Canada?
Extensions are filed through IRCC before the current permit expires, with maintained-status rules allowing the worker to keep working while the application is in progress. A change of employer or occupation usually requires a new permit rather than a variation of the existing one.
-
Are biometrics required?
Most first-time work-permit applicants between 14 and 79 must give biometrics at a Visa Application Centre, and the 30–37 day clock effectively starts from biometric receipt. Existing biometrics from a Canadian application in the last ten years may be reused, although VAC service fees may still apply.