In some cases, foreign workers do not need to submit any documents from the employer in order to get a work permit. Foreign spouses and common-law partners of temporary foreign workers and foreign students, who themselves want to work in Canada, might be eligible to apply for an open work permit. Open work permit is not job-specific. Due to this, they will not need to provide a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada or a confirmed offer of employment.
If a person is exempt from the LMIA process and is approved for an open work permit, she or he will be able to work for any Canadian employer as long as the employer is not listed with the status: “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions and does not, on a regular basis, offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages.
Open work permits may be applied for by:
- The spouses or common-law partners of foreign temporary workers;
- The spouses or common-law partners of foreign students;
- International students who have graduated from a Canadian post-secondary institution.
In addition, open work permits are also available to candidates for the International Experience Canada program.
