WORKING IN CANADA

Unless you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, in order to work in Canada you must hold a valid employment authorization (EA). Canadian government issues about 2 lakh employment authorizations every year. The federal government is committed to helping employers create job opportunities for Canadians. In addition to domestic efforts, this sometimes involves supporting the entry into Canada of foreign workers needed by employers to temporarily meet labor market shortages they are otherwise unable to fill. Working with our partners at Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) is redesigning the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program to facilitate the entry of foreign workers who have obtained an offer of employment in Canada. Except for specific situations (e.g. spouses of foreign students; refugee claimants awaiting determination of their claims), the foreign worker must have a job offer to temporarily work in Canada before he or she can apply for an employment authorization. The federal government does not help place foreign workers hoping to find a job in Canada. The EA approval process involves both consideration of the job offer and consideration of the applicant. Whether you are visiting Canada as a tourist or business visitor, working temporarily or studying in Canada, you are required to leave Canada at the end of your stay. Most visitors are allowed to stay for up to six months. Students and temporary workers have permission to stay for the duration of their studies or employment contract. Be sure to check the validity date of your stay on your documents. The entry stamp in your passport shows the date you entered Canada. If you wish to stay beyond the authorized date, you must apply for an extension before the expiry of your visitor status. If you want to change the terms and conditions of your stay, you must also submit an application. For instance, if you were admitted as a visitor, you may not be allowed to work or study while in Canada. In certain cases, you may be eligible to apply for an employment authorization or student authorization while in Canada. It is illegal to stay in Canada beyond the validity of your visitor status or to work or study without authorization. In such cases, you will lose your visitor status, and may be subject to inquiry for violation of the Immigration Act. However, it may be possible to have your status reinstated if you submit the application for extension with a full explanation. If you decide you want to live permanently in Canada, you must leave Canada and apply from your home country. You will have to meet the appropriate selection criteria.

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