 Visiting
and Working
Visitor Visas
Persons who are not Canadian citizens or residents are
allowed to come to Canada to visit for a temporary period of time. To do this, the
individual must obtain a visitor visa before coming to Canada from a Canadian Consulate.
The point of visitor visa is to grant temporary entry to Canada to visit, vacation, or
even to survey the labour market. However, the entry must be temporary.
There are many countries, however, whose citizens do not
require visitor visas before coming to Canada. These are called Visa Exempt countries.
The standard maximum length of a visitor visa is 6 months. The visa can be extended once a
person is in Canada.
Employment Authorization
If you wish to work in Canada, you require an Employment
Authorization. Working without this visa will result in your removal from Canada, unless
you fall under one of the exemption categories described below.
The general rule of gaining employment in Canada is that
your employer must first obtain a job validation from Human Resources Development Canada
(HRDC). This is, in essence, gaining permission from the government to hire a non Canadian to work in Canada. The reason for
this first step is that Canada wishes to protect the labour market of its own citizens and
residents. Your employer must demonstrate that they cannot hire a Canadian to do the job
advertised. There are various methods by which this can be done. HRDC does not grant
permission to work in Canada, they only assess whether the job itself is available to be
filled by an immigrant.
After job validation is granted the immigrant then applies
to a Canadian Consulate to obtain an Employment Authorization, which is permission from
Immigration Canada to work in Canada.
Of course, there are virtually dozens of exceptions to the
above rule, much too detailed to address here. There are exemptions in the Immigration
Act, and within international treaties such as NAFTA and GATS. There are also certain jobs
which are exempt from job validations, as well as others which are exempt from employment
authorization. Our job, of course, is to assist you and your employer in gaining
entry to the Canadian labour market by the quickest and most effective means possible.
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