Eligibility To Apply For Open Work Permit In Canada

As I stated in my first post, this series of posts will explore the requirements as to who can apply for an open work permit if they are from a country that has not been exempted from the international mobility agreement.If you are a citizen of Mexico, the good news is that you can apply for an open work permit in Canada. An open work permit allows the holder to work in any business in any position, provided they fit the qualifications stated on their work permit.

Certain non-Canadian citizens are eligible for an Open Work Permit. An open work permit is designed for highly skilled workers who want to seek employment in Canada, but do not want to commit to a full-time job. To get a work permit under the ‘open’ category, you must prove that you can move to Canada and successfully find suitable employment within a set period of time.By: Niraj Warikoo The first step to getting the Canadian work permit is to find out if you are eligible or not. You can get an idea if you qualify by looking at certain qualifying criteria. Anyone who is interested in getting the Canadian work permit must be eligible. When you are going to apply for such a permit, then you need to make sure that you are qualified for it.

Eligibility To Apply For Open Work Permit In Canada

Table of Contents

Eligibility requirements for all applicants

There are specific requirements you need to meet depending on where you are when you apply for your work permit.

But regardless of where you apply or which type of work permit you apply for, you must

prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires;
show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home;
obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (we may ask you to give us a police clearance certificate);
not be a danger to Canada’s security;
be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed;
not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions;
not plan to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages; and
give the officer any other documents they ask for to prove you can enter the country.

Eligibility requirements if you apply from outside Canada

Anyone can apply before they enter Canada. However, there may be visa office requirements that you need to meet depending on what country or territory you’re applying from. Make sure you follow the instructions for how to apply.

Find out if you can benefit from the Global Skills Strategy’s two-week application processing.

Eligibility requirements if you apply from inside Canada

You can only apply for a work permit from inside Canada if

you have a valid study or work permit;
your spouse, common-law partner or parents have a valid study or work permit;
you’re eligible for a post-graduation work permit and your study permit is still valid;
you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more;
you’re waiting on a decision on an application for permanent residence from inside Canada;
you made a claim for refugee protection;
you’ve been recognized as a convention refugee or protected person by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada;
you’re allowed to work in Canada without a work permit but you need a work permit to work in a different job (this does not apply to business visitors); or
you’re a trader, investor, intra-company transferee or professional under the Canada – United States – Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

Eligibility requirements if you apply when you enter Canada at a port of entry

You should apply for your work permit before you travel to Canada.

However, you can apply for a work permit when you enter Canada if you’re eligible.

To apply at a port of entry (POE), you must meet all of the following:

be eligible for an electronic travel authorization or to travel without a visitor visa (find out if you need a visa)
be eligible to enter Canada while COVID-19 travel restrictions are in place
meet other requirements depending on the type of work permit you’re applying for (see below)

Employer-specific work permit applicants

Your employer must have completed all of the required steps for your employer-specific work permit.

Open work permit applicants

You must be eligible to apply for an open work permit.

Before you travel to Canada

All travellers entering Canada must follow testing and quarantine requirements to keep everyone safe. Under certain conditions, you may be exempt from some of these requirements.

Find out if you’re exempt from any testing and quarantine requirements.

You may also need to take a medical exam before you come to Canada. Find out if you need one.

Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program

If you’ll be working in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, you’re not eligible to apply for a work permit at a POE.

Biometrics

Most applicants aren’t eligible to give their biometrics at a POE.

To give your biometrics at a POE, you must meet 2 requirements:

start and finish your application at the same POE
be eligible to apply for a work permit at a POE

Eligible applicants can give their biometrics at these POE locations.