You usually need a work permit to work in Canada. In some cases, you can work without a permit.
Get the right work permit for your situation
There are 2 types of work permits:
Employer-specific work permit
An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Canada according to the conditions on your work permit, such as
– the name of the specific employer you can work for
– how long you can work
– the location where you can work (if applicable)
Open work permit
An open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada, except for one that is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions, or regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages. You can only get an open work permit in specific situations.
Spousal Open Work Permit
Eligibility for the spousal/partner open work permit changed on January 21, 2025. Your spouse or common-law partner can now qualify for an open work permit only if you are working (or have a job offer) in a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation, or in one of a select list of TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations, and your own work permit generally needs at least 16 months of validity remaining when your spouse applies. A few narrow exceptions exist, including for spouses of certain Quebec-recruited health-sector workers and BC Significant Investment Project workers.
Dependent children are no longer eligible for new open work permits under this stream — only an existing child work permit issued before the change can be extended. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.) Because eligibility depends on your occupation and permit timing, see our guide to the spousal open work permit or book a free assessment to check your family’s situation.
Post-Graduation Work Permit
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) allows you to remain in Canada and work full time after you complete an eligible program that is at least 8 months in length. You don’t need a job offer to apply, but since November 1, 2024, most non-degree graduates — college, polytechnic and non-university programs, and university programs below the bachelor’s level — must have studied in a field linked to Canada’s long-term labour shortages, and must also meet a minimum language test result (CLB/NCLC 5 for these programs, CLB/NCLC 7 for eligible university programs). Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree graduates are generally exempt from the field-of-study requirement.
Because these rules depend on when your study permit application was submitted and the eligible-fields list can change, always check your specific program against IRCC’s current PGWP eligibility list before you enrol — not after you graduate. See our study permit checklist for the full picture, or book an assessment. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter. If the employer needs an LMIA, they must apply for one.
Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.
Who We Help
As a work permit consultant in Kelowna, we work with individuals and BC employers at almost every stage of the process, including:
– workers who need a new work permit, or need to extend or change an existing one
– spouses and common-law partners affected by the tightened spousal open work permit rules
– recent and soon-to-be graduates whose PGWP eligibility now depends on their program and field of study
– workers whose permit is expiring and need to apply in time to keep their status
– BC employers who need to hire a foreign worker and want to understand the LMIA process first
How We Help Workers
Choosing and timing a work permit application correctly matters more now that several streams have tighter rules. As your work permit consultant in Kelowna, Luning Chen, RCIC helps workers with:
– choosing the right stream — employer-specific, open, spousal open, or post-graduation
– assessing eligibility under the current rules, including the narrower spousal work permit criteria and PGWP field-of-study and language requirements
– timing your application with enough validity remaining, before your current status expires
– explaining maintained status and what it does and doesn’t cover while an application is pending
– responding to refusals and requests for more information
No RCIC can guarantee approval — what we can do is make sure your application reflects the current rules and is put together correctly the first time.
For BC Employers: Hiring a Foreign Worker
Employers across Kelowna and the rest of BC often need to hire a foreign worker to fill a role they can’t fill locally. Here’s what an LMIA application in BC involves in practice:
– Recruitment and advertising — most LMIA applications require you to advertise the position and show genuine recruitment efforts first
– The application — submitted to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and assessed against your recruitment efforts, the wage offered, and the job’s impact on the local labour market
– Wage and compliance rules — offer at least the prevailing wage; the high-wage vs. low-wage stream depends on your province’s current wage threshold, and low-wage caps/regional restrictions have changed more than once since 2024 — check canada.ca for the current figures
– After a positive LMIA — the worker uses it, with the job offer number, to apply for their own employer-specific work permit; the LMIA alone doesn’t authorize work
– Inspection and compliance risk — employers can be inspected, and non-compliance can lead to fines, program bans, or being added to the non-compliant employer list
Some positions are LMIA-exempt (for example, certain intra-company transfers and trade-agreement categories), but that depends on the specific role. We can walk you through what your hire actually requires, start to finish. (Source: ESDC/IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
If Your Permit Is Expiring
Timing is the single most important thing to get right. Apply to extend or change your permit before it expires — IRCC recommends at least 30 days ahead. Apply while it’s still valid and you generally get “maintained status,” which lets you stay and keep working under your existing conditions while the application is processed, even if the old expiry date passes first.
If your permit lapses before you apply, maintained status doesn’t apply. You may be able to apply to restore your status within 90 days, but you generally can’t work while that’s pending, and approval isn’t guaranteed. Always apply before your permit expires, not after. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Which Guide Fits You?
One of our detailed guides may fit your situation better:
– Spousal Open Work Permit — for spouses and common-law partners applying under the current rules
– Express Entry vs. BC PNP — for workers comparing federal and provincial permanent residence routes
Book a Free Assessment
Work permit rules change often, and getting the wrong stream or timing wrong can cost you months. Book a free assessment with Luning Chen, RCIC, at our Kelowna office to go over your work permit, LMIA, or hiring situation and find out what your options actually are.
Book your free assessment — no outcome is ever guaranteed, but you’ll leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.
Work Permit
You usually need a work permit to work in Canada. In some cases, you can work without a permit.
Get the right work permit for your situation
There are 2 types of work permits:
Employer-specific work permit
An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Canada according to the conditions on your work permit, such as
Open work permit
An open work permit lets you work for any employer in Canada, except for one that is listed as ineligible on the list of employers who have failed to comply with the conditions, or regularly offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages. You can only get an open work permit in specific situations.
Spousal Open Work Permit
Eligibility for the spousal/partner open work permit changed on January 21, 2025. Your spouse or common-law partner can now qualify for an open work permit only if you are working (or have a job offer) in a TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation, or in one of a select list of TEER 2 or TEER 3 occupations, and your own work permit generally needs at least 16 months of validity remaining when your spouse applies. A few narrow exceptions exist, including for spouses of certain Quebec-recruited health-sector workers and BC Significant Investment Project workers.
Dependent children are no longer eligible for new open work permits under this stream — only an existing child work permit issued before the change can be extended. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.) Because eligibility depends on your occupation and permit timing, see our guide to the spousal open work permit or book a free assessment to check your family’s situation.
Post-Graduation Work Permit
A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) allows you to remain in Canada and work full time after you complete an eligible program that is at least 8 months in length. You don’t need a job offer to apply, but since November 1, 2024, most non-degree graduates — college, polytechnic and non-university programs, and university programs below the bachelor’s level — must have studied in a field linked to Canada’s long-term labour shortages, and must also meet a minimum language test result (CLB/NCLC 5 for these programs, CLB/NCLC 7 for eligible university programs). Bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree graduates are generally exempt from the field-of-study requirement.
Because these rules depend on when your study permit application was submitted and the eligible-fields list can change, always check your specific program against IRCC’s current PGWP eligibility list before you enrol — not after you graduate. See our study permit checklist for the full picture, or book an assessment. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter. If the employer needs an LMIA, they must apply for one.
Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.
Who We Help
As a work permit consultant in Kelowna, we work with individuals and BC employers at almost every stage of the process, including:
How We Help Workers
Choosing and timing a work permit application correctly matters more now that several streams have tighter rules. As your work permit consultant in Kelowna, Luning Chen, RCIC helps workers with:
No RCIC can guarantee approval — what we can do is make sure your application reflects the current rules and is put together correctly the first time.
For BC Employers: Hiring a Foreign Worker
Employers across Kelowna and the rest of BC often need to hire a foreign worker to fill a role they can’t fill locally. Here’s what an LMIA application in BC involves in practice:
Some positions are LMIA-exempt (for example, certain intra-company transfers and trade-agreement categories), but that depends on the specific role. We can walk you through what your hire actually requires, start to finish. (Source: ESDC/IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
If Your Permit Is Expiring
Timing is the single most important thing to get right. Apply to extend or change your permit before it expires — IRCC recommends at least 30 days ahead. Apply while it’s still valid and you generally get “maintained status,” which lets you stay and keep working under your existing conditions while the application is processed, even if the old expiry date passes first.
If your permit lapses before you apply, maintained status doesn’t apply. You may be able to apply to restore your status within 90 days, but you generally can’t work while that’s pending, and approval isn’t guaranteed. Always apply before your permit expires, not after. (Source: IRCC, canada.ca — current as of September 18, 2026.)
Which Guide Fits You?
One of our detailed guides may fit your situation better:
Book a Free Assessment
Work permit rules change often, and getting the wrong stream or timing wrong can cost you months. Book a free assessment with Luning Chen, RCIC, at our Kelowna office to go over your work permit, LMIA, or hiring situation and find out what your options actually are.
Book your free assessment — no outcome is ever guaranteed, but you’ll leave the conversation knowing exactly where you stand.