Canada Work Visa for Indians

IRCC may direct the applicants to either appear for a visa interview or furnish additional documents based on certain factors. Once the application is processed, it will take few weeks (based on the visa category) for the visa decision to be notified to the applicants.

Based on the applicant's skills, he/she may require obtaining a work permit in order to live and work in Canada, however, certain job categories do not require a work permit.

The following list indicates whether a work permit is required for the following types of job categories

1. Athlete or coach - If the applicant is an athlete, coach or a member of a foreign team participating in Canada, he/she is not required to obtain a work permit. However, if the applicant intends to work for a Canadian team, he/she will be required a work permit.
2. Aviation accident or incident investigator - The applicant doesn't require a work permit if he/she is an accredited agent or adviser working on an aviation accident or incident investigation under the Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.
3. Business visitor - Visiting Canada for business activities and not being a part of the Canadian labour market doesn't require a work permit.
4. Civil aviation inspector - If the individual wants to visit Canada for checking flight operations or cabin safety of commercial airlines during international flights, he/she is not required to obtain a work permit.
5. Clergy - A member of the clergy doesn't need a work permit if his/her work involves preaching doctrine, leading worship or giving spiritual counselling.
6. Convention organizer - Individuals who organize or run international conventions or meetings do not require a work permit.
7. Crew member - If the individual is visiting Canada for becoming a truck driver, bus driver, or airline worker, he/she doesn't need a work permit. However, if the work duties are other than working on foreign-owned and registered vehicles that are used mainly to transport cargo and passengers internationally, and the work is related to operating vehicles or serving passengers, he/she will need a work visa.
8. Emergency service provider - In order to visit Canada to become an emergency service provider who helps preserve life or property in case of emergencies such as natural disasters or industrial accidents that threatens the environment, the applicant won't need a work permit.
9. Examiner and evaluator - Academic experts who evaluate or supervises academic projects, university theses or research proposals in Canadian research groups or schools are not required to obtain a work permit.
10. Expert witness or investigator - When the applicants want to visit Canada to function as an investigator or an expert, he/she doesn't need to apply for a work permit.
11. Family member of foreign representative - If the visa aspirant is the spouse or child of a foreign representative, or accredited by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), or provided with a letter of no objection from GAC, he/she can visit Canada without the need of a work permit.
12. Foreign government officer or representative - If the applicant is a diplomat, official representative of another country or United Nation or allowed to work in an exchange agreement, he/she can enter Canada without the need of a work permit.
13. Healthcare student - Healthcare students may or may not require a work permit based on various factors. Additionally, certain eligibility criteria allow the applicant to enter Canada under the employer-specific work permit.
14. Judge, referee or similar official - If the individual is a judge or an official for a cultural or artistic event such as a music or dance festival, animal show or an agricultural contest, he/she can visit Canada without the need of a work permit.
15. Military personnel - If the applicant is a member of an armed force of another country and has movement orders for entering Canada under the Visiting Forces Act, he/she will not need a work permit to enter Canada.
16. News reporter or film and media crew - Individuals who are news reporters, members of a reporter's crew, members of a film or media crew who will not enter the Canadian labour market, journalists of for a print, broadcast or Internet news service company located outside of Canada, resident correspondents or member of clerical staff do not need a work permit.
17. Producer or staff member working on advertisements - Individuals need not apply for the work permit if they are either a film producer, actor, director, technician or other essential personnel and working on a foreign-financed advertisement or commercial film for the television.
18. Performing artist - Based on certain factors such as the applicant's role, duration of stay, type of event, etc., many types of performing artists are not required to obtain a work permit to enter Canada.
19. Public speaker - If the duration of stay is no longer than five days and the individual is either a guest speaker, seminar leader or commercial speaker, he/she is not required to apply for a work permit, however, if the duration of the stay exceeds five days, the applicant is required to carry out the work permit application.
20. Short-term highly-skilled worker - To work as a high-skilled worker in Canada, the applicant need not apply for a work permit if the job is listed under the NOC skill type 0 (managerial) or A (professional) category.
21. Short-term researcher - A researcher visiting a public degree-granting institution or affiliated research institution for 120 consecutive days or lesser is not required to apply for the work permit, however, he/she may need to apply for a temporary resident visa or electronic travel authorization (ETA).
22. Student working off-campus - Based on certain factors, the full-time international students who are enrolled at a designated learning institution are allowed to work off-campus without the need for a work permit.
23. Student working on-campus - Full-time international students can opt for on-campus work without applying for a work permit.

How to Extend a Canada Work Permit

Based on the expiry date of the work permit and the individual's requirement, he/she apply to extend the work permit's validity. In order to extend stay in Canada, individuals are required to carry out the application process at least 30 prior to the current permit's expiry date. The work permit can be renewed to either extend the validity or to accommodate changes pertaining to the work/job. If the individual has been offered a new job in Canada, he/she must apply for a new work permit. Applicants have the option to choose either the online or offline application process. The work permit is not a valid travel document, in order to travel outside Canada or to re-enter, the individual must obtain either a temporary resident visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA). International Experience Canada work permit can be extended due to the following specific situations:

1. Job has been extended
2. Change of employers
3. Wrong expiry date on the work permit
4. Received a new passport
5. Removal of medical restrictions

Bridging Open Work Permit

If an individual has applied for permanent residence and his/her work permit is due to expire within four months, he/she may be eligible for a bridging open work permit which will allow the individual to continue working while the authorities review the permanent resident application. The eligibility for open work permit is based on various factors such as the application category (Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program, Provincial Nominee Program, Canadian Experience Class, Caring for Children Class or Caring for People with High Medical Needs Class), expiry date of the work permit, payment of work permit processing fee, payment of open work permit holder fee, furnishing necessary documents, etc.

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) Application Process

Since the Work Permit is not a travel document, individuals are required to apply for an eTA in order to enter Canada. The application process needs applicants to have a valid passport and a credit/debit card to pay the fee of 7 CAD (Canadian Dollar) after the online application is completed. Most often, the eTA applications are approved and emailed to the applicant within few minutes after the application is completed.