If you are planning on working in Canada in any capacity, whether permanent or temporary, and in any situation, you must obtain a work visa. The process, like any bureaucratic measure, is an involved one that contains many different steps.

Preliminary work

A visa is required to work in Canada, but before you can even begin the application process you must ensure that a few basic requirements have been met.

You must ensure that you have a job. A work visa will not be issued to a person who has not yet been offered a job in Canada; in order to apply for a visa you must have a job already lined up.
Your prospective employer must demonstrate a need. In order for the allowance of the application, the employer with whom you have been offered a job must demonstrate that the opportunities of residents in Canada would not be adversely affected by your employment. In other words, there should be no qualified Canadian citizens or residents interested in that position to the best of the employer’s knowledge. This knowledge is demonstrated through the employer’s presentation to the Human Resources Development Centre in the city where the employment is to take place.

In some cases there are exceptions to the approval rule. Employees of charitable organizations, spouses of some workers, employees under international agreements, and certain others may be allowed to skip step number two above.

Application

The next step in the process of applying for a visa is the application itself. The application forms are easily obtained through the Internet or by mail. Procuring the forms requires payment of a fee, which is around $75 in Canadian dollars. There are also associated processing fees and these change according to the country of application.

It is important to note that not all requirements for a visa which will allow you to work in Canada are the same for citizens from different countries. In most cases documentary evidence will be needed:

Completed and signed application forms, including two pieces of recent photo ID for both you and your family.
Supplementary application forms.
Fee payments, which are non-refundable.
Proof of sufficient funds.

The government of Canada does provide country specific guidelines for visa requirements for those wishing to work on a temporary basis in the country. This information can be obtained by consulting an embassy or on the Government of Canada website.

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