Post-Graduation Work Permit
For graduates of eligible Canadian programs. One-time only, with a strict 180-day deadline.
Open the PGWP page Work permits · Canada
Canada Work Permits — every route to working in Canada.
There are only two kinds of work permit — employer-specific and open — but more than a dozen routes into them. Choosing the wrong one costs months. Start with the finder below.
RCIC-led Brampton & London LMIA & LMIA-exempt
2 types
The basics
Employer-specific ties you to one job; open lets you work almost anywhere.
LMIA-exempt
Often available
Many of the strongest routes need no labour market impact assessment.
Maintained status
Apply on time
Applying before expiry generally lets you keep working while you wait.
Bridge to PR
Bigger picture
Canadian work experience is the strongest input into Express Entry.
Permit finder
Which work permit fits you?
Most applicants qualify under more than one route, and they are not equal. Three questions narrow it down.
Your situation
Three questions.
All routes
Browse every work permit route.
Filter by type. Each route has its own rules, timelines and cost — and some are far faster than others.
Spousal Open Work Permit
For eligible spouses and partners of certain workers and students. The 2025 rules narrowed eligibility.
See sponsorshipBridging Open Work Permit
Keep working while your permanent residence application is processed, once you reach a qualifying stage.
Vulnerable Worker Permit
Free and expedited, for workers on employer-specific permits facing abuse at work.
Get help nowFrancophone Mobility (C16)
LMIA-exempt for French speakers with a job offer outside Quebec. NCLC 5 in speaking and listening only.
See Francophone MobilityInternational Experience Canada
Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op for eligible youth aged 18 to 35.
Refugee Claimant Work Permit
Claimants awaiting a decision can generally apply for an open permit, usually fee-exempt.
See claimant permitsFamily of workers & students
Spouses and, in some cases, dependants of certain permit holders may be authorised to work.
Co-op work permit
Required where a Canadian study program includes a mandatory work placement.
LMIA-based work permit
Your employer obtains a labour market impact assessment. Recruitment, wage and compliance rules apply.
Global Skills Strategy
Two-week processing for eligible high-skilled roles where the employer and occupation qualify.
Free trade agreements & transfers
CUSMA, CETA and intra-company transfers allow LMIA-exempt work for qualifying roles.
Francophone Mobility
An LMIA-exempt route for French-speaking workers destined for jobs outside Quebec.
Caregivers & home care workers
Home care work follows its own dedicated streams and instructions.
See caregiver programsSeasonal agricultural workers
The seasonal agricultural worker program has its own process and employer obligations.
Doctors & healthcare specialists
Faster processing exists for medical doctors and certain healthcare specialists.
Before you choose
What actually decides your route.
Whether an LMIA is genuinely required
Many applicants assume they need one when an exemption applies. Establishing exemption early saves months and thousands in employer cost.
Where you are applying from
Most open permits cannot be obtained from outside Canada, which changes the realistic options considerably.
Your current status and its expiry
Applying before expiry generally preserves your right to work. Letting status lapse turns a simple filing into restoration.
The occupation and its TEER level
Skill level drives spousal eligibility, PR pathways and in some cases the permit route itself.
Employer compliance obligations
Employer-specific permits carry an inspection regime. Employers should understand it before they hire.
How the permit feeds your PR plan
The permit you take now determines the Canadian experience you can claim later. Choose with PR in mind.
Work permit help
Not sure which route is yours?
Every situation has a best route and several worse ones. A licensed RCIC will identify all of them, then tell you which one actually serves your plans.
Questions about work permits?
We keep every common question — eligibility, documents, timing, fees and processing — answered and updated in one place.
Related services
Explore your other options.
Post-Graduation Work PermitFrom study to work
Vulnerable Worker PermitLeave an abusive employer
Caregiver ProgramsHome care worker pathways
Express EntryStrategy & PR profile
Provincial Nominee (PNP)Every province & OINP
Study PermitsPAL/TAL, funds & study plan
General information only, not legal advice, and current as of July 2026. Rules, fees and processing times change — confirm current requirements on canada.ca before filing. Contacting us does not create a client–consultant relationship until a written retainer is signed. IRCC makes all final decisions.
Confidential · fee-exempt · nobody is contacted
Is your permit tied to an employer who is treating you badly?
An employer-specific permit can make leaving feel impossible. It is not. There is a permit built for this situation — free, prioritised, and your employer is never asked for permission.
In immediate danger? Call 911.
Press Esc twice to leave instantly.
Work permit review
Which work permit are you actually eligible for?
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.