Guide - apply on paper Most people must apply online. If you can’t apply online because of a disability or problem with the online application, you can apply on paper.
Most people must apply online.
You can only apply on paper if you’re in 1 of the following situations:
This is not a legal document. The explanations and definitions are not legal definitions. In case of a discrepancy between the language in this document and the relevant legislation or regulations, the legal text in the legislation and regulations prevails.
For legal information, consult the following documents:
If you can’t apply online or use the forms mentioned in this guide because of a disability, you can ask for other formats including large print and braille. Contact the Client Support Centre (in Canada only) or submit a Web form for other formats.
This guide is designed to help you determine if you are eligible to apply for an extension of your work permit or change conditions of your stay in Canada, including applying for an initial work permit (see the section Who may apply for a work permit from within Canada?).
You only need to give your biometrics once every 10 years. However, we can’t issue a visa or permit longer than 10 years from the last date you gave your biometrics.
If you want a visa or permit for longer than 10 years from the last date you gave your biometrics, you can choose to give your biometrics again when you apply. You can give your biometrics again even if they’re still valid.
Follow these steps when you apply for your visa or permit:
You need to book an appointment to give your biometrics at one of these official biometric collection service points.
Workers are a class of temporary resident who are legally authorized to enter Canada temporarily to work. They are subject to various conditions.
This application guide is for temporary residents who are already in Canada and wish to:
If you are currently working in Canada and want to change conditions on your work permit (e.g. change length, employer or occupation), you must apply and obtain a new work permit. You should apply before making the change. For any permit, you should always apply at least 30 days before your status expires.
Normally, a work permit must be applied for prior to coming to Canada. Only in a few special circumstances presented in this guide can an initial work permit be applied for within Canada:
Note: The validity of your work permit cannot exceed the validity of your passport. Therefore, you should ensure that your passport will be valid for a longer period than your requested extension.
You lose your temporary resident status and authorization to work if your status has expired, you did not comply with all of the conditions on your permit or you have worked or studied without a required permit. If you have lost your status, you may have committed an offence under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and could be subject to an admissibility hearing that could lead to your removal from Canada.
If your temporary resident status expired and you wish to stay in Canada, you may apply for restoration of status within 90 days of your permit expiry date or you must leave Canada. If you wish to apply for restoration, complete the enclosed application providing full details of how you came to commit the offence. There is no guarantee that your application will be accepted. See the section Restoration of Status.
It is illegal to remain in Canada beyond the validity of your status in Canada.
It is illegal to work without a required work permit.
It is illegal to study without a required study permit.
Important: Applying for more than one service at the same time
You may apply for a study permit by completing the IMM 5709 form. Details and instructions on how to apply for a study permit from within Canada may be obtained by visiting our web page Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada as a Student.
After reading this guide, if you believe you are eligible to apply then you should proceed as instructed below:
The Case Processing Centre will review your application to determine if it is complete.
Note: If your application is rejected as “incomplete”, it is considered to have never been submitted and therefore you would not be able to maintain your status. If you reapply after your current status has expired, you will need to apply for restoration of status. See the section Restoration of Status.
If your application is complete, the Case Processing Centre will send you either:
If your application is referred to a local office, they will contact you to obtain additional information or clarification and if required, invite you to an interview. It may take up to three months for them to contact you.
Once they receive the additional information or clarification, the local office will complete the final stages of processing. The local office will notify you by mail of their decision.
Note: The Case Processing Centre receives large volumes of applications in the temporary resident categories each year. It is recommended that you apply at least 30 days before the expiry of your current document. However, you may want to apply in advance of this recommended period since processing times vary. Check our current processing times.
All persons coming to Canada who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents can request to enter as visitor, student or worker. When they enter Canada they are given temporary resident status for a limited period of time.
When you arrived in Canada and gave your passport to the officer, they authorized your stay by placing a stamp in your passport and/or issuing an additional document. Check your passport. If you find a stamp, it should look like one of these.
For example, if the officer specified a date as shown in the above illustration, your temporary resident status would expire on June 30 th , 1993.
If there is no stamp, a handwritten date or document in your passport, your temporary resident status will expire six months from the day you arrived in Canada.
If you were given a visitor record, study or work permit, the expiry date is marked on the document.
When applying to change conditions or extend your stay in Canada, you are required to submit photocopies of passport pages clearly showing the stamp made by Canadian authorities on your most recent entry to Canada.
Note:
If you have applied to extend your work permit and plan to travel outside Canada while your application is in process, you can leave and come back. However, one of three things will happen when you return to Canada:
Note:
It’s possible that you will not be able to enter Canada. The final decision is always made by the officer at the port of entry.
Citizens of the United States (U.S.) do not require passports or travel documents to enter or return to Canada. As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the U.S. no longer require an eTA if they are travelling to Canada by air, including if they are entering Canada from the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon. Both U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. must provide documentary proof of citizenship or permanent residence such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.
Yes. To return to Canada to work, you must have a valid travel document.
A work permit is not a travel document. It does not give you the authorization to travel to Canada. Along with your permit, you need one of the following documents:
Having an eTA, a visa or proof of lawful permanent residence status of the U.S, along with your work permit, does not guarantee that you can return to Canada. You must prove to the border services officer that you meet all the requirements before you can re-enter Canada.
Along with your work permit, you need:
If you received your initial work permit before August 1, 2015, you need to apply for an eTA if you don’t already have one.
If you received your initial work permit on or after August 1, 2015, you already have an eTA. We automatically issued it to you when we approved your initial work permit. It’s valid for 5 years or until your passport expires. See your letter of introduction for details.
If your application for a work permit renewal is approved on or after May 1, 2017, we will automatically issue you an eTA.
If your work permit was approved before May 1, 2017 and you don’t already have an eTA, you’ll need to get one before you return to Canada by air.
You’ll need a valid visa and a valid work permit to return to Canada to work. You don’t need a valid visa if you return directly from a visit only to the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon. You must re-apply for a visitor visa if your visa:
Eligible citizens of select visa-required countries will receive an eTA when they renew their work permit. The eTA is electronically linked to the passport you used to renew your permit and is valid for five years or until your passport expires. You can only use the eTA when you fly to, or transit through Canada by air. You’ll receive a letter from us with information about your eTA number and expiration date.
Note:
If you already have a valid visitor visa, you can use it to travel to Canada until it expires. A visitor visa will let you travel to Canada by plane, car, bus, train or boat.
It’s possible that you will not be able to enter Canada. The final decision is always made by the officer at the port of entry.
Citizens of the United States (U.S.) do not require passports or travel documents to enter or return to Canada. As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the U.S. no longer require an eTA if they’re travelling to Canada by air, including if they’re entering Canada from the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon. Both U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from the U.S. must provide documentary proof of citizenship or permanent residence such as a national identity card or an alien registration card.
Work is an activity for which wages or commission is earned, or even if unpaid, that competes directly with activities of Canadian citizens or permanent residents on the Canadian labour market.
A work permit is a written authorization to work in Canada issued by an officer to a person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. It is required if the employment location is in Canada, whether or not the employer is in Canada.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ( IRPR ) contain requirements that enable Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to better protect your rights when you come to work in Canada by ensuring that employers respect the terms of their offers of employment.
In a work permit application, the employers will be evaluated on:
In cases where the employer is found to have not complied with previous commitments to foreign workers, the employer may be deemed ineligible to hire a foreign worker for two years.
You must not work for an ineligible employer. Check our webpage to view the current List of Ineligible Employers.
Note: If your employer is a mission, foreign government, international organization or a bridge or tunnel authority, they may be exempt from the Employer Compliance Regime. Find out more about this exemption.
An LMIA is an assessment provided by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) which enables an IRCC or CBSA officer to determine whether the employment of the foreign worker is likely to have a positive or neutral impact on the labour market in Canada. An LMIA may be required in order for a work permit to be issued. The LMIA must be included with your work permit application.
Note: LMIA -exempt work permits have different requirements that must be met and these are reviewed by IRCC or CBSA. Find out if you are exempt from a LMIA .
If an employer is offering you a specific job, then you need an offer of employment number. In order to obtain this number, the employer must use the Employer Portal to:
Make sure the employer gives you the offer of employment number before you submit your work permit application. The offer of employment number starts with an “A” and is followed by 7 numbers.
Important: The ability to apply in Canada does not guarantee acceptance. Eligibility criteria for the category of work permit must be met.
The following persons may apply for a work permit from within Canada:
Note: If you’re a skilled foreign worker, your spouse or common-law partner may be eligible for an open work permit. Learn more about this work permit
You must show the officer that you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act ( IRPA ) and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ( IRPR ) and that you will be in Canada for a temporary stay. You must:
In addition to the requirements for all temporary residents, you must provide:
Note: If you are in the Live-in Caregiver program and are still within your qualifying period for permanent residence (i.e. within 4 years of your arrival in Canada), please provide a copy of your employment contract and your LMIA which was issued on or before November 30, 2014.
Note: If you are in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program and want to extend your status as a worker to reach the maximum duration allowed under the bilateral agreement or arrangement, you will need to provide proof of health insurance that is valid for the duration of the time you are seeking to extend your stay. If proof of your insurance is not valid for the entire period for which you are seeking an extension of the work permit, the duration of your work permit may be shortened accordingly. This only applies to IEC participants who want to extend their status as workers with the same employer and under the same conditions of their initial work permit.
Note: Open work permit applications for vulnerable workers must be submitted online. You don’t have to pay any fees. If you have a disability and are unable to apply online or there is a problem with the online application, learn more about how you can apply.
In general, to work in Quebec, you need an attestation of issuance of your Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) before applying for a work permit.
Your employer must contact:
Your employer will ask you to sign the application for a CAQ and will send it to the MIFI on your behalf.
Please refer to the MIFI website for contact information and for the latest updates on the process and documents needed for Quebec.
An officer may impose, vary or cancel conditions when issuing a work permit. These may include one or more of the following:
If you plan to remain in Canada for six months or less:
If you plan to remain in Canada for another six months or longer:
You will need a medical exam if you have lived temporarily for six or more months in a row
Regardless of the length of time you are in Canada, you will need a medical exam if you wish to work in one of the following fields:
Medical exams should be done at least two months before the current expiry of your permit and intended future employment, to avoid processing delays and the return or refusal of your application due to incomplete information.
Get the instructions to complete the medical examination.
Note: When medical results are submitted up-front, routine cases benefit from faster processing since we do not have to request them at a later date. If you choose to have an upfront medical exam, you must submit proof that you completed the medical examination with your application. Failure to do so may result in processing delays.
You may be able to restore your status as a visitor, student or worker within 90 days of losing it, if you lost it because:
You may still be eligible for restoration if you continue to meet the initial requirements for your stay and have not failed to comply with other conditions imposed.
If you wish to obtain a new study or work permit and restore your temporary resident status, you must
Restoration applies to each family member who has lost their status. There is no guarantee that your application will be approved.
The documentation you provide will be used to establish that your authorization to remain in Canada would not be contrary to the Act. You must provide truthful, accurate information. The information provided may be verified. Processing will stop immediately if you give false or misleading information. It is an offence under section 127 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to knowingly make a false statement on this form.
The following are the forms that must be filled out and submitted:
Use the Document Checklist [IMM 5556] (opens in a new tab) to assist you in gathering the supporting documents to submit with you application.
Note: you will receive a personalized document checklist when you apply online
Venezuelan passport holders
If the printed expiry date on your Venezuelan passport has passed
If the printed expiry date has passed and you’re applying for a visitor visa, study permit, work permit or to extend your stay as a temporary resident in Canada, follow these steps:
Warning: If your passport is still expired after adding 5 years to the printed expiry date, your passport is considered expired. You’re not eligible to submit an application with that passport.
It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information on these forms. The information you provide on your application is subject to verification.
Complete all sections. If a section does not apply to you, write "Not Applicable" or "NA", except for your name (last name and given name[s]). Refer to questions 1 and 2 under "Personal Details" section for further instructions.
If your application is incomplete it may be rejected and this will delay the processing of your application.
Fill out this form only if you:
If you have dependent children aged 18 years or older, they must fill out their own copy of this form if a representative is also conducting business on their behalf.
A representative is someone who:
You are not obliged to hire a representative. We treat everyone equally, whether they use the service of a representative or not.
You must use this Web form to tell us if any information changes regarding the person you authorized to represent you on your application.
When you apply online, you’ll be asked to pay a Processing Fee for each service that you require. All fees must be submitted with your application.
For information including eligibility, fees and required documents for studying in Canada, refer to the guide Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada - Student (IMM 5552) or consult the Help Centre.
You may submit an application for any of or a combination of the following services:
Note: If you are a Refugee Claimant for whom no final decision has been made, or you have found to be a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person, you don’t need to pay the processing fee for work permits, study permits, or temporary resident permits.
If a decision has been made and you have not been found to be a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person, but are awaiting an appeal in federal court, you are required to pay the processing fee as a decision has been made on your initial application.
Use this chart to verify the fees required for the services you are requesting. If you or your family members are applying for other services, you can pay the fees all together.
Note: It is not necessary to make a separate application for an extension of temporary resident status when you apply for a work or study permit. The officer will issue all the necessary documentation with the one application.
Work permit (including extensions) – per group (3 or more performing artists)
Maximum fee for a group of 3 or more performing artists applying at the same time and place
Restore your status as a worker
Restore your status ($229) and get a new work permit ($155)
Biometrics – per family (2 or more people)
Maximum fee for a family of 2 or more people applying at the same time and place
Biometrics – per group (3 or more performing artists)
Maximum fee for a group of 3 or more performing artists applying at the same time and place
Make sure that you are eligible before you pay your fees and that you provide all the information requested before you submit the application. The work permit processing fee ($155) will not be refunded, regardless of the final decision once the Case Processing Centre has started processing the application. For example, if your work permit has expired and you incorrectly apply for an extension of work permit, no refund for the extension will be provided and you will be asked to provide a second fee for the restoration.
Note:
The fee to restore temporary resident status applies to each member who has lost their status.
If we determine that you are not eligible, your application will be considered “processed” and your processing fees ($155) will not be refunded. If you apply again, you will have to pay the processing fees again.
If your application is refused, we will refund the open work permit fee.
To pay your fees online in your account, you must have a valid credit card.
You must create an account to register or sign in using GCKey or Sign In Partner.