While most individuals will require a work permit if they wish to work while in Canada, there are certain situations in which one need not be obtained.
Business visitors, remote workers for a foreign employer, and international students with work authorization are among those who do not require a permit.
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In this article, we’ll outline three situations that allow a foreign national to work without having to first secure a work permit through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
All temporary residents of Canada must be admissible and demonstrate intent to leave at the end of their authorized stay to enter the country.
Working as a business visitor
The ability to enter and work in Canada as a business visitor necessitates that you do not enter the Canadian labour market upon being granted entry. This is satisfied in three ways:
1) You do not pursue direct employment with a Canadian company
This means your primary source of remuneration, and the accrual of profits remain outside Canada, and the principal place of business is located outside the country.
2) The business activity is international in scope.
Some examples of this include purchasing goods for a foreign company or receiving training from a Canadian parent or subsidiary of a foreign company.
3) The activities are not competitive in the Canadian marketplace.
This means no engagement with the general public in a way that competes with Canadian workers. The work done by business visitors cannot be work that Canadian citizens or permanent residents could have initially been considered to perform.
Common activities that qualify one as a business visitor are typically non-competitive in this sense, and include attending business meetings, trade conventions, or exhibitions (no sales to the public), procuring Canadian goods and services, and attending a board of directors meeting.
After-sales services as part of a warranty or sales agreement—such as repairing, servicing, testing, or supervising work on specialized equipment purchased or leased outside Canada—and certain roles in commercial advertising, film, or recording production also qualify.
How long you are permitted to stay as a business visitor is dependent on the nature of your activities in Canada and is at the discretion of the officer reviewing your case.
The onus is entirely on the applicant to prove they qualify. Entry is never guaranteed. Business visitors should carry the following when arriving at the border (where applicable):
- A letter of support from their employer (outside Canada);
- A letter of invitation from the Canadian host business; and/or
- Supporting materials like business cards, business papers, or advertising pamphlets.
If the employer is funding the trip, you must show a letter specifying that financial support, atop your own personal funds.
A business visitor may remain in Canada for up to six months.
Working as a digital nomad, remotely for a foreign employer
As a digital nomad, you can work from anywhere in the world. If, as a digital nomad, you conduct remote work for a non-Canadian employer from within Canada, you do not need a work permit.
Your employer must meet the following criteria for this work permit exemption to apply:
- Has no physical presence in Canada;
- Does not operate or conduct business in Canada; and
- Maintains no financial connections to Canada.
Put simply, you must not enter the Canadian labour market, provide services to Canadian clients, or receive payment from a Canadian entity while conducting remote work from within Canada.
Workers in this position require only a visitor visa or electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to enter Canada, which permits them to stay in the country for up to six months at a time while working remotely for an employer based outside Canada. If you stay longer than six months, you must apply for a visitor record.
The digital nomad must provide sufficient proof that their income is earned wholly outside Canada and that they will be working remotely for an employer abroad or, if self-employed, offering services only to clients outside Canada.
Acceptable documentation may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- An employment confirmation letter or contract from a non-Canadian employer;
- Pay slips or compensation records issued by a foreign employer;
- Contracts, service agreements, sales records, or invoices for foreign clients;
- Documentation confirming registration of a business outside Canada;
- Foreign tax filings or income tax records; and/or
- Bank statements showing income received from outside Canada.
Examples of remote jobs that can be conducted from within Canada for a non-Canadian employer can include software development, digital marketing, business consulting, and online tutoring.
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Working as an international student with authorization
International students may be eligible to work on or off campus without a work permit while studying, provided their study permit includes conditions authorizing them to do so.
You may work unlimited hours on campus at any time of the year. Off campus, you may work up to 24 hours per week during regular academic terms, and unlimited hours during scheduled breaks, such as summer or winter holidays and reading week.
A “scheduled break” must be scheduled officially by the school, and last at least seven consecutive days. You can continue to take courses part-time or full-time during a scheduled break, and it will not affect your ability to work unlimited hours during that period.
You can work in Canada without a work permit—on or off campus—if you meet all of the following:
- You’re a full-time student at a designated learning institution;
- Exception: If you’re studying part-time in your final semester but were full-time in every previous semester, you’re still eligible.
- You’re enrolled in a post-secondary academic, vocational, or professional training program, or a secondary-level vocational program in Quebec;
- You have a valid study permit, or applied to extend it before it expired;
- Your initial study permit includes conditions allowing you to work; and
- You have a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
Specific to off-campus work: Your study program is at least six months long and leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate.
Because you are entering the Canadian labour market in this situation, you must apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) before beginning employment—this can be done online, by mail, or in person at a Service Canada Centre. You will need it to file taxes and access government services.
Working more than 24 hours per week while classes are in session is a violation of study permit conditions and may result in loss of student status, refusal of future work or study permit applications, and removal from Canada.
For additional information on working on or off campus without a work permit, see IRCC’s official webpages:
Other situations in which you can work in Canada without a work permit
There are other situations—outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations under R186—where an individual may work in Canada without a work permit, including (but not limited to), the following:
- Accredited diplomats and foreign representatives, including UN and international organization officials
- Foreign military personnel from Visiting Forces Act countries, including designated civilian staff
- Foreign government exchange officers placed with a Canadian federal or provincial agency
- U.S. cross-border maritime law enforcement officers under the 2009 bilateral framework
- In-flight security officers from countries with a bilateral aviation security arrangement with Canada
- Performing artists and their integral staff in time-limited, non-broadcast engagements, with no employment relationship with a Canadian organization
- Sports participants — individuals or team members at sports activities or events in Canada
- Foreign journalists covering events in Canada for a foreign news company
- Guest speakers and short-term seminar leaders (seminars must be five days or fewer)
- Academic examiners reviewing research proposals or university programs/theses
- Religious workers providing spiritual leadership, preaching, or counselling to a congregation
- Emergency responders — anyone providing emergency or medical services to protect life or property
- Expired work permit holders with a pending renewal, who continue to comply with their original permit conditions
Learn more about the requirements for each situation on our designated webpage.
About Canadian work permits
In most cases, a foreign national wishing to work in Canada must first obtain a work permit. There are two primary types: open and employer-specific (closed).
An open work permit allows the holder to work for almost any employer in Canada, while a closed work permit ties the holder to a specific employer, position, and location.
Work permits are broadly issued under one of two federal programs:
- The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP); and
- The International Mobility Program (IMP).
The TFWP exists to enable Canadian employers to hire foreign workers when no suitable Canadian worker is available and requires employers to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The LMIA serves as proof that the hiring of the worker will have a positive or neutral impact on the Canadian labour market.
The IMP covers LMIA-exempt situations and exists to promote Canada’s broader economic, social, and cultural interests. Some examples of permits issued under the IMP include working holiday permits, post-graduation work permits, and spousal open work permits.
All TFWP work permits are employer-specific, while IMP work permits may be either open or employer-specific.
To learn about how you can apply for a Canadian work permit, visit our dedicated webpage.
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