Work Permit

If you’re an accredited agent or adviser working on an aviation accident or incident investigation being done under the Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, you do not need a work permit.

If you’re coming to Canada to do business activities and will not be part of the Canadian labour market, you do not need a work permit.

Note that a “business visitor is not the same as “business people” who usually need work permits.

If you check the flight operations or cabin safety of commercial airlines during international flights, you do not need a work permit.

If you organize or run international meetings or conventions but do not provide “hands-on” services, you do not need a work permit.

You do not need a work permit if:

• you’re working on foreign-owned and registered vehicles that are used mainly to transport cargo and passengers internationally, and
• your work is related to operating vehicles or serving passengers such as truck driver, bus driver, or shipping or airline worker.

You do not need a work permit if you will help out in an emergency to help preserve life or property. Examples of emergencies include natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, or industrial accidents that threaten the environment.

You do not need a work permit if you’re a professor or academic expert who evaluates or supervises academic projects, research proposals, or university theses working for Canadian research groups or schools.

You do not need a work permit if you will give evidence before a regulatory body, tribunal, or court of law.

You do not need a work permit if:

• You’re accredited in Canada as the dependent spouse or child of a diplomat.
• Your passport counterfoil and Global Affairs Canada issued ID card indicates “D” or “I”.
• You have a letter of no objection from Global Affairs Canada (GAC)— this is normally issued only if there is a reciprocal employment arrangement with your home country.

You do not need a work permit to work in Canada if:

• you’re an employee of a foreign government and you’ll work for a Canadian government department under an exchange agreement, or
• you’re an accredited diplomat, consular officer, official or representative of another country, or
• you’re an accredited representative or official of the United Nations, or
• you’re an accredited representative or official of an international organization of which Canada is a member.

You do not need a work permit if:

• you’re doing clinical clerkships, and
• the main goal of your work is training, and
• you have written approval from the board that regulates your job (note that certain provinces do not need written approval), and
• your training will last less than four months.

You do not need a work permit if you’re an official at an international amateur competition who will judge or be an official for an artistic or cultural event.

You do not need a work permit if you’re a member of an armed force of another country and you have movement orders stating that you’re entering Canada under the terms of the Visiting Forces Act.

You do not need a work permit if you’re:

• a news reporter or member of a reporter’s crew, or
• a member of a film or media crew who will not enter the Canadian labour market, or
• a journalist who works for a print, broadcast, or Internet news service (journal, newspaper, magazine, television show, etc.) and your company is not Canadian, or
• a resident correspondent, or
• a manager and or member of clerical staff, as long as the event is short-term (six months or less).

You do not need a work permit if you’re working on a foreign-financed commercial/advertising shoot for television, magazines, or other media and you’re:

• a film producer, or
• an actor, or
• a director, or
• a technician, or
• other essential personnel.

You do not need a work permit if:

• you’re a foreign artist or the artist’s key support staff (people vital to the performance), and
• you will perform in Canada for a limited period of time, and
• you’re not being hired for ongoing employment by the Canadian group that has contracted you, and
• you’re not involved in making a movie, television, or radio broadcast.

You do not need a work permit if you’re a guest speaker, commercial speaker or seminar leader who is speaking at specific events, provided the event is no longer than five days.

You do not need a work permit as a religious leader if your duties include

• assisting your congregations to reach spiritual goals, or
• preaching doctrine, or
• leading worship, or
• providing spiritual counselling.

You do not need a work permit if you will come to Canada as a high-skilled worker and

• your job is under the NOC skill type 0 (managerial) or A (professional), and
• you will only work for
  • up to 15 consecutive days once every six months or
  • up to 30 consecutive days once every year

You do not need a work permit if you will come to Canada as a researcher

• at a public degree-granting institution or affiliated research institution, and
• who will work for 120 or fewer consecutive days, and
• who has not worked in Canada under this exemption in the last 12 months.