Canada offers several job opportunities for immigrants looking to work in the country. There’s the promise of an excellent life, fair salaries, great work conditions, and other benefits of working in Canada. The country’s border is open to qualified people from different countries who are hoping to move to Canada to work.
If you’re one of such people looking to move to Canada for work, there are certain things you need to know about immigrating to Canada and getting a job there. Read on to discover the important things you’ll need to work in Canada.
1. You Must Be Qualified
Employers in Canada are in search of educated people to fill different roles. If you have recently graduated from a university, college, or trade school and can contribute your skills to a thriving economy, then opportunities abound in Canada for you.
You stand a better chance of securing a job in Canada if you’re educated. More than 56% of the country’s adult population has some form of tertiary education. Canada’s literacy rate is also one of the highest in the world. To compete and take advantage of the various skilled workers’ immigration programs in Canada, you must have the education qualification for it.
2. You’ll need A Work Permit
Like every other country, you’ll need a work permit to work in Canada as an immigrant. The process of getting a job permit to work in Canada depends on the type of job you intend to do and the type of worker migration program you have applied for.
Some jobs in Canada require your employer to take a Labour Market Impact Assessment before they can employ you while some others don’t. To process your work permit, you’ll also need to provide proof of an offer of employment from your employer. You’ll also be required to provide proof that you have the certification or needed accreditation to work in that job.
3. Labour Market Impact Assessment
One of the essentials you’ll be required to provide to process your work permit and work in Canada is the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) document. Your potential employer will need to get this document before they can hire you as a foreign worker.
Also known as a confirmation letter, the purpose of this document is to show that a foreign worker is indeed needed to fill that role and there’s no permanent resident or Canadian citizen available to take up that position.
The exact process for applying for an LMIA depends on the type of program your employer is hiring through. The Mobilité Francophone program for instance allows employers to hire French-speaking and bilingual immigrants to work in managerial and professional positions without an LMA. But you may need an LMIA to hire through the high-wage worker program, low-wage workers, workers coming into the country through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program and the Agricultural Stream. If an LMIA is required for the position you’re applying for, your potential employer will need to complete the LMIA process and provide you with their confirmation letter for your work permit application.
4. A job offer letter
This is another vital document that your Canadian employer has to provide for your work permit application. This letter explains the details of your job as a temporary worker. Also known as an employment letter, the job offer letter is not as detailed as a contract. It contains details such as your duties on the job, your pay and tax deductions, and work conditions such as the work hours.
Note that an “offer of employment” is different from a “job offer letter”. Employers who need to do an LMIA will be required to provide a copy of the job offer letter for your permit application. But if your employer does not need an LMIA to hire you for that position, they’ll only need to submit an “offer of employment” on the employer portal. The portal will generate an offer of employment number which will be needed to apply for your work permit.
5. Get accredited
Asides from your educational qualification, your profession may require some sort of accreditation before you can work as a foreigner in Canada. Professionals such as teachers, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, and so on will need to get accreditation before they work in these jobs.
The process of getting accredited may take a while and it varies from one profession to the other. You can get information about this and other aspects of working in Canada as a foreigner from an immigration lawyer. Your lawyer will be able to answer questions about the application process, provide advice on a spouse visa or how to work in Canada while on a marriage visa application.
Conclusion
These are some of the basic things you’ll need to work in Canada as a foreigner. Note that the exact process and requirement vary widely depending on the exact role you’re applying for and the pathway through which you intend to get into the country. This is why talking to a professional is always recommended.