Work permits: employer-specific (LMIA) and open, including the post-graduation work permit

Drafted from the official pages listed under Sources, last read on 29 October 2026. Rules, fees and thresholds change: check the official page before you act. This is not legal advice and does not guarantee any outcome.

Who it is for

IRCC describes two main kinds of temporary work permit. An employer-specific permit requires a job offer. An open work permit does not require a job offer but is available only in specific situations. Some people can work without a permit; IRCC offers a questionnaire to check.

The post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is an open work permit for graduates of eligible Canadian institutions.

How it works

Employer-specific permit (LMIA or LMIA-exempt)

• The permit names your employer, location and occupation, and you must follow its conditions.
• A labour market impact assessment (LMIA) is a document showing a need to hire a foreign worker. IRCC says most jobs need one; the employer must first check whether the job needs an LMIA or is LMIA-exempt.
• With a positive LMIA, the employer gives you the LMIA letter and Annex A to include in your application. The LMIA application itself is the employer’s, handled with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
• You can apply from outside Canada, from inside Canada, or at a port of entry, depending on your situation; existing permits can also be extended.

Open work permits

IRCC states that most people applying from outside Canada cannot get an open work permit and most applicants apply from inside Canada. Listed categories include post-graduation work permit applicants, International Experience Canada working-holiday applicants, spouses and common-law partners of international students, family members of permanent residence applicants or work permit holders, and several protection-related situations. The permit may exclude employers on the non-compliant list.

Post-graduation work permit (PGWP)

The PGWP is for graduates of certain designated learning institutions. You can receive only one PGWP, and you must apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program.

Main requirements

General: IRCC says you must meet the general work permit requirements and that a questionnaire can tell you whether you need a permit and which type. The PGWP rules below are from IRCC’s PGWP eligibility page.

• Employer-specific permit: a job offer from an employer not on the non-compliant employers list; most jobs need a positive LMIA.
• Open work permit: no job offer is needed, but you must fall into a listed situation.
• PGWP: complete a program at a PGWP-eligible DLI that was at least 8 months long (900 hours for Quebec programs) and keep full-time student status each semester (part-time is allowed in the final semester).
• PGWP language: CLB/NCLC 7 in all four abilities for degree and other university programs; CLB/NCLC 5 for college, polytechnic or non-university programs (for applications from 1 November 2024).
• PGWP field of study: not required for bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degrees; required for other programs if the study permit application was submitted on or after 1 November 2024 (the field must appear on IRCC’s list of fields linked to long-term occupational shortages).
• PGWP timing: apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program, and your study permit must have been valid at some point in those 180 days. Only one PGWP can be issued.
• PGWP length: programs of 8 months to under 2 years may give a permit up to the program length; programs of 2 years or more may give 3 years; the permit cannot outlast the passport.

Costs and timing

On the IRCC fee list: work permit CAN$155.00 per person, open work permit holder fee CAN$100.00, employer compliance fee CAN$230.00 and biometrics CAN$85.00 per person (CAN$170.00 maximum per family). IRCC’s PGWP page lists CAN$255 for the PGWP. The LMIA application fee paid by employers is not covered in this guide; see the ESDC page.

Processing times are estimates published by IRCC in its processing times tool; they are not promises.

Preparing your file

• Use IRCC’s questionnaire first to confirm whether you need a permit and which type.
• For an employer-specific permit, ask the employer whether the job needs an LMIA or is LMIA-exempt, and obtain the LMIA letter and Annex A or the offer details they must give you.
• Check that the employer is not on IRCC’s non-compliant employers list.
• For the PGWP, keep your completion confirmation and language test results ready, check the field-of-study list if your program is not a degree, and note your 180-day deadline.
• Check that your passport is valid for the whole period you hope to be permitted to work.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Working before you hold a permit when one is needed: IRCC says you cannot legally work without it or state on a job application that you are authorized to work.
• Assuming an open work permit is available to anyone: it exists only for listed situations.
• Missing the 180-day PGWP window, or expecting a second PGWP after an earlier one.
• Working outside the employer, location or occupation named on an employer-specific permit.
• Believing the platform, an agent or an employer can guarantee a job offer or permit: only the employer hires and only IRCC decides.