How to Change a Visitor Visa to a Work Permit in Canada

In most cases you cannot change a visitor visa to a work permit in Canada from inside the country. The temporary public policy that once let many visitors apply for a work permit without leaving ended in August 2024, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) now restricts in-country work permit applications to a short list of situations.1Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Canada Ends Temporary Public Policy Allowing Visitors to Apply for Work Permits From Within the Country If none of those apply, the standard route is to leave Canada, apply from abroad, and re-enter once the permit is approved.

Who Can Still Apply From Inside Canada

IRCC allows an in-country work permit application if any of the following describes you:2Government of Canada. Work Permit: Who Can Apply

  • Your spouse, common-law partner, or parent holds a valid Canadian study or work permit.
  • You graduated from a designated learning institution and still hold a valid study permit, making you eligible for a post-graduation work permit.
  • You hold a temporary resident permit valid for six months or more.
  • You have an application in process for certain permanent residence classes filed from inside Canada, such as the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class.
  • You have made a claim for refugee protection.

A common misconception is that being married to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident is enough to apply from within Canada. It isn’t. But if your Canadian spouse has already sponsored you for permanent residence and IRCC has acknowledged receipt of that application, you can apply for a spousal open work permit while living together in Canada.3Government of Canada. Sponsor Your Spouse, Partner or Child: Optional Open Work Permit

If you don’t fit any category above, plan to apply from outside Canada. Working, or even lining up a start date, before the permit is issued puts your future applications at risk.

Which Type of Work Permit You Need

Two broad categories exist, and the answer shapes what you need from an employer before you can apply.

Employer-Specific Work Permits

This permit ties you to one employer, one job, and one location. Most require the employer to first obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada, confirming that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the role.4Government of Canada. Find Out if You Need a Labour Market Impact Assessment The employer pays a $1,000 processing fee per position for the LMIA.5Government of Canada. Hire a Skilled Worker to Support Their Permanent Residency

Some employer-specific permits are LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program. This covers workers under trade agreements such as CUSMA, intra-company transferees, French-speaking workers outside Quebec, and participants in International Experience Canada’s Young Professionals or Co-op categories.6Government of Canada. Who You Can Hire Under the International Mobility Program The employer submits an offer through IRCC’s employer portal instead of going through the LMIA process.

Open Work Permits

An open work permit lets you work for almost any employer without being tied to a specific job. Eligibility is limited to defined groups, including spouses or common-law partners of skilled workers or international students, post-graduation work permit holders, applicants with pending permanent residence applications, refugee claimants, and participants in programs such as International Experience Canada’s Working Holiday category.2Government of Canada. Work Permit: Who Can Apply

Documents to Prepare

A valid passport is the starting point, and it should stay valid for at least the full length of the work permit you’re requesting. Beyond that, you’ll typically need:

  • For an employer-specific permit, the LMIA number and job offer number from your employer, or the offer of employment number for an LMIA-exempt position.
  • Educational credentials, professional certifications, and evidence of relevant work experience matching the job requirements.
  • An immigration medical exam if you’ve spent six or more consecutive months in certain countries in the year before coming to Canada, or if your job involves protecting public health, such as health care or child care work. The exam must be done by an IRCC-approved panel physician, not your own doctor.7Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Medical Exams for Visitors, Students and Workers
  • Police certificates, depending on your country of citizenship and the countries where you’ve lived.
  • Proof you can support yourself and any accompanying family while in Canada. IRCC doesn’t publish a fixed dollar figure for work permit applicants, so bank statements or an employment letter showing your expected salary can satisfy this.

How to Apply and What It Costs

Applications are submitted online through an IRCC account. After you answer the eligibility questions, the system generates a personalized document checklist. You upload your documents, complete the forms, and pay the fees before submitting.8Government of Canada. Work Permit: How to Apply

Fees are:

After submission, IRCC sends an acknowledgement of receipt. If biometrics are required, you’ll get instructions to attend a collection point for fingerprints and a photo. Processing times vary by permit type and where you applied from; IRCC publishes current estimates that are worth checking before you file.

Your Status While You Wait, and Whether You Can Work

This is the part that trips people up. If you submit your work permit application before your current visitor status expires, you get what IRCC calls maintained status. That lets you stay in Canada legally under your visitor conditions until IRCC decides your application.12Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. I Applied for a New Work Permit – Can I Stay in Canada if My Work Permit Expires Maintained status preserves your right to stay. It does not let you work. You remain a visitor until the work permit is actually issued, and starting a job before then breaks the terms of your stay.

If your visitor status has already expired before you apply, you’re out of status. You can apply for restoration within 90 days of your status expiring.13Government of Canada. Restore Your Status and Get a Work Permit Restoration as a worker costs $246.25 for the restoration fee plus $155 for the work permit processing fee, totaling $401.25 before biometrics.9Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees During restoration you are not on maintained status and cannot work or study. Miss the 90-day window and you’ll need to leave Canada and apply from abroad.

Leaving Canada While Your Application Is Pending

Traveling outside Canada while your application is being processed is risky. Maintained status applies only while you’re physically in Canada. If you leave, you lose it until a decision is made. Re-entering depends on whether you’re visa-exempt or hold a valid temporary resident visa, and there’s no guarantee a border officer will let you back in. If your application is refused while you’re outside the country, you may not be able to return at all.

If Your Application Is Refused

A refusal doesn’t permanently bar you from Canada. You can apply again at any time, unless your decision letter says otherwise.14Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. If My Immigration Application Is Refused, Do I Have To Wait Before I Apply Again Reapplying with the same information rarely helps. Fix whatever caused the refusal, whether that’s thin documentation, a questionable job offer, or a missing LMIA, before filing again. If you’re in Canada without other valid status when the refusal arrives, you’ll need to leave. Overstaying can result in a removal order and complicate future applications.

Work That Doesn’t Require a Permit at All

Some activities don’t need a work permit, which means none of the process above applies. The list is narrow but includes business visitors attending meetings or conferences, short-term researchers, athletes and coaches competing in events, news reporters and film crews, emergency service providers, performing artists on short-term engagements, and certain religious leaders.15Government of Canada. Who Can Work Without a Work Permit Specific conditions apply within each category, so confirm the IRCC requirements for your situation before assuming you’re exempt.