If you’re researching how to get a Canada work visa from the United Arab Emirates then you’re on the right track. Canada is a country filled with various job vacancies in several different fields. In fact, there are over 800,000 jobs available in Canada as of September, covering all skill-level jobs.
There are several ways to obtain a work visa in Canada and it all depends on the type of work you’ll be doing. Continue reading to learn all about the different visas and see which one works best for you and your family.
How to Get a Canadian Work Permit in 3 Steps
Step 1: Choose a work permit that suits your needs
There are two main Canadian work permits. Your occupation in Canada will determine the permit you’ll need. The options are the open work permit and the employer-specific work permit. The difference between the two are:
- Open Work Permit - this will allow you to work for any employer in Canada and in any province or territory. If you have this visa it also means that you are exempt from the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) which makes the process much simpler for you.
- Employer-Specific Work Permit - with this visa you’ll have certain conditions that need to be followed, this may include being limited to one employer and position and even location. The employer-specific work permit is also much easier to obtain.
Step 2: Are you eligible for a Canadian work visa?
There are many different programs in which you can obtain a work visa as a foreign national with each program having its own special requirements that you’ll need to meet. However, there is a general list of criteria that everyone who wants to apply for a work permit needs to meet. You’ll need to:
- prove to an officer that you will leave Canada when your work permit expires;
- show that you have enough money to take care of yourself and your family members during your stay in Canada and to return home;
- obey the law and have no record of criminal activity (you may have to give a police clearance certificate);
- not be a danger to Canada’s security;
- be in good health and have a medical exam, if needed and
- not plan to work for an employer listed with the status “ineligible” on the list of employers who failed to comply with the conditions.
Step 3: Submit your work visa application
Submitting your visa application online would be the best thing for you to do, as you would be saving your time and money on delivery times and courier fees. It’s also the safer option in terms of reducing any delays when you need to submit additional documents. If anything has been filled out incorrectly you have quick access to correcting instead of waiting for your application to be returned and then fixing it.
Working on your application with a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) can expedite your process significantly as it means that your documents have already been verified.
What Are the Different Canada Work Visa Programs?
How to get an open work visa:
The International Mobility Program (IMP) is designed to help Canadian employers hire foreign national workers without the need for an LMIA. The IMP is highly favoured by both employers and immigrants as it makes the entire process much simpler and quicker. A program that falls under the IMP is the Post-Graduation Work Permit.
What is the Post-Graduation Work Permit?
The Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) is designed to allow international students to obtain an open work permit. As an international student with this type of visa, you’ll be able to work anywhere in Canada and for any employer. Your career options are endless. Your visa could be valid for up to three years, this number depends on the length of your study program.
In order to apply for the PGWP you’ll need the following:
- a valid study permit;
- a valid visitor record;
- you have maintained full-time student status in Canada;
- submit an application to extend your study permit before it expired and no decision has been made on your application; and
- studied a program at a designated learning institution that was at least 8 months long.
The PGWP is a great way to get a Canada work visa from the United Arab Emirates UAE as you’ll gain Canadian work experience making you eligible for permanent residency programs like the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).
How to get an employer-specific permit:
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is designed to fill Canada’s labour shortages and bring new skills and knowledge to help the economic growth. The TFWP makes this process of temporarily hiring foreign national workers much easier. If you’d like to apply for an employer-specific visa, you can do so through the following stream:
Global Talent Stream
The Global Talent Stream (GTS) creates a pathway for Canadian employers to get access to highly skilled global talent, in order to develop and grow the workforce in Canada. The processing time is as short as two weeks which makes it highly favourable among employers. The GTS consists of two categories:
Category A:
This category is for employers who have been referred to the Global Talent Stream by one of the stream’s designated partners. Employers are required to hire individuals with unique or specialized talent.
Category B:
This category is for employers who want to hire highly skilled foreign workers to fill positions for in-demand jobs in Canada found on the Global Talent Occupations List.
Occupations on this include:
- Computer and information systems managers;
- Database analysts and data administrators; and
- Computer programmers and interactive media developers.
FAQ: Canadian Work Visas
Can I extend my work visa from inside Canada?
If you’d like to extend your work visa while in Canada, you’ll need to do so at least 30 days before your current visa expires. Your passport shouldn’t expire before the intended work visa expiry date, if it does you won’t be able to extend your visa.
How do I know if my employer who offered me a job is eligible?
You can find a list of eligible and ineligible employers on the Canadian government website. It’s important to ensure your employer is listed as eligible as your visa can be denied if they are found ineligible.
Why Work in Canada?
As mentioned before, Canada is known as the land of opportunity when it comes to working opportunities. Not only that but the work opportunities come along with great benefits as well. These Canadian work benefits include a healthy work-life balance, paid leave and maternity leave for both parents and most importantly, the chance to immigrate to Canada as a foreign national.
The next thing to do is start the process and get a Canada work visa from the United Arab Emirates UAE today!