Most foreign nationals need a work permit to work in Canada. Permits generally fall into three tracks. Employer-specific permits under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from the employer, confirming the hire won't negatively affect the Canadian labour market. Employer-specific permits under the International Mobility Program are LMIA-exempt — they rely on a specific exemption category, such as intracompany transfers, CUSMA (USMCA) professionals, or significant-benefit categories like C11. Open work permits let the holder work for any employer and typically arise from a specific personal circumstance — a spousal or partner open work permit for the spouse of a worker or student, a bridging open work permit while a permanent residence application is processed, or a post-graduation work permit (PGWP).
International Experience Canada (IEC) is a related but distinct route — a reciprocal youth mobility arrangement between Canada and partner countries that lets eligible young adults apply for an open work permit through the IEC pool (Working Holiday, Young Professionals, or International Co-op). Because IEC runs through an annual pool and season-specific rounds of invitations rather than a standard employer-driven application, timing your profile correctly matters as much as eligibility itself.
For LMIA-based permits, we assess the role and wage, advise on recruitment obligations, and prepare and submit the LMIA before the work permit application. For LMIA-exempt permits, we determine the applicable exemption category and prepare the submission directly. For open work permits — spousal/partner, bridging, dependent, or PGWP — we confirm eligibility and status before filing. For IEC, we review eligibility against the relevant country agreement and manage the pool profile and invitation-to-apply timeline.