August 5, 2008

Live and work in Canada: Application processing shortcuts


There are those who are looking for shortcuts to live and work in Canada. Most of them are asking for information about fiance visa or tourist visa application with the end in view of working in Canada.

But will that really work?

There is no fiance visa category in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada. And getting married with a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Residents in Canada is not a guarantee that you will be given a permanent resident status, too. Well, there are those who are able to exploit the system, but there is a great chance that if marriage was just done for convenience, it will be caught.

Now comes the other shortcut - tourist visa application. There are those who visit Canada and work there even without a work permit. That is illegal.

If if you are already in Canada on a temporary resident visa, you must apply for a work permit first before you should work. You can actually apply for a work permit from within or inside Canada if:

  • you have a valid study or work permit, or your spouse or parents have a study or work permit

  • you have a work permit for one job but want to apply for a work permit for a different job

  • you have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more or

  • you are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from inside Canada. You will have to pass certain stages in the main application process before you can be eligible for a work permit.

  • And of course, you must have a valid job offer or a Labor Market Opinion (LMO). In some cases, LMO is not required to get a work permit.

    For list of jobs in Canada that require a work permit but not LMO, click here.

    To get updates about application process to live and work in Canada from Canada Visa Application Online Resource, subscribe visa email here.