"Canada Work Visa" aka "Canada Work Permit" Information

Terms "Work Visa" aka "Work Permit"

What people often call a "Canada Work Visa" is officially known as a "Work Permit" by Citizenship and Immigration Canada

"Every year over 90,000 foreign workers enter Canada working temporarily to help Canadian employers address skill shortages in Canada.  Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) ensure that these workers will support economic growth in Canada and create more opportunities for all Canadian job seekers."
"In almost all cases you must have a valid work permit to work in Canada."
[quote from CIC web site on "Work Temporarily in Canada" section as of 2003/09/15 s/a www.cic.gc.ca/english/work Government of Canada]

"Employing foreign workers can be an essential part of a company's business strategy.  Foreign workers can fill labour shortages in Canada and bring new skills and knowledge to help the country's [Canada's] economy grow."
www.hrsdc.gc.ca - Hiring Foreign Workers in Canada [quote Human Resources and Social Development Canada HRSDC website 2006.06.27]

see also CanadaTradeJobs.com a immigration-business lawyers site to assiste companies in hiring foreign skills workers 2006.06.27]

Possible Traps & Pitfalls in the Canada Work Visa ie Work Permit Area of Citizenship and Immigration Canada Services

There are a number of traps and pitfalls in the Canada Work Permit / Work Visa area - which people can unwittingly fall into.  Some of these could have serious repercussions on both the foreign worker and the Canadian company.  These include:

1. 6 month ban for working illegally:
   If you have worked in Canada without a Work Visa / Work Permit, and don't have a valid exemption you can rely on, you could be banned from obtaining a Work Permit for 6 months from the date that you ceased working.  There are only limited exceptions which will excuse you from this 6 month ban, and if your company depends on your services this could cause severe problems.  Under the old regulations, there was a provision for relief where the offence was unintentional or excusable for a "valid reason."  The new Regulations have no such relief provision.
   
   
2. Misrepresenting or Withholding material facts:
   If on a Work Permit Application, you misrepresent the facts, or don't disclose any relevant facts, you could be deemed inadmissible, and be forced to leave Canada immediately.  For example, say you were working in Canada thinking that you did not need a Work Permit.  You then discovered that you did need one, and you applied for it but didn't disclose that you were working without authorization; you could be guilty of a misrepresentation, and be force to leave Canada.
   
   
3. Ban from returning to Canada:
   If you have been found inadmissible because of a misrepresentation, or any other offence under any Canadian law, you may not be able to immigrate to Canada, or even come back to Canada, without the consent from the Minister of Immigration.
   
   
4. Leaving Canada during renewal processing:
   If you have a Work Permit, and apply for an extension, you usually have the right to continue to work in Canada until Canada Immigration has dealt with your application and either renewed your Work Permit or rejected the application.  If you leave the country, even for a short business trip, after your Work Permit expires but before the new one is issued, you may not be able to come back to work.
   
   
5. Limitations on renewals:
   Some categories of Work Permits have limited renewal periods.  For example, if you are coming to Canada as a NAFTA Intra Company Transferee on the basis of "specialized knowledge", you may have difficulty renewing your Work Permit after 3 years, because you may be expected to transfer that knowledge to Canadians during that time.  Other categories have different renewal limitations which may be more beneficial to your case.

Canada Work Permits aka Canada Work Visa - General Introduction
for more information see CanadaVisaLaw.com Introduction to Canada Work Permits

NAFTA Work Visa - information for USA & Mexico citizens to work temporarily in Canada
Go to CanadaVisaLaw.com Canada and NAFTA Work Permit Section

Technology Workers, e.g. information technology & software developers, and Canada Work Visa information
see CanadaVisaLaw.com re Canada Work Permits for Technology workers

Intra Company Transfer - Work Visa applications [notes for Employers and Employees]
see CanadaVisalaw.com re Intracompany Transfers

Religious Worker Category & Work Visa / Work Permit
see Religious Workers Permits CanadaVisaLaw.com

| Terminology "Work Visa" aka "Work Permit" | Traps & Pitfalls of Work Visa / Work Permit Area | NAFTA Work Visa | Technology Workers' Work Visa | Intra Company Transferee Work Visa | Religious Worker Visa |

Hiring Foreign Skilled Workers & Assisting Employers With Canada Work Permit Applications

The mission of CanadaTradeJobs.com is two-fold:

• To help Canadian companies recruit, qualify, and hire foreign tradesmen; and

• To help foreign tradesmen to work in Canada by assessing their skills, finding jobs for them, obtaining work permits for them, and assisting them to settle in Canada.

Shortage of Skilled Trade Workers

Canada’s economy is booming, and needs skilled tradesmen. Canada’s Oil and Gas reserves are the 2nd largest in the world, and the Construction, Mining, and other industries are facing a shortage of skilled trade workers. Recruiting foreign workers is the key to helping Canadian firms prosper. You can read more about Alberta’s Oil and Construction industries and about British Columbia’s Construction industry.

Golden Opportunity for Experienced Foreign Tradesmen

Foreign workers now have the chance to work in Canada with some of the highest paying trade jobs in the world. Canada’s immigration laws also allow you to bring your family to Canada, and apply for Permanent Residence in Canada.

If you are a skilled trade worker, look at the list of trades which are in demand. If you have the skills and experience in one of these trades, you can complete a free initial assessment to see if you might qualify to work in Canada.

You can also find out more about Canada, and about the work permit process. Check our News regularly, and find immediate jobs openings at Hot Jobs.

Helping Employers tap into the Global Workforce

Canada’s booming economy has created tremendous growth and expansion opportunities for Canadian companies. However, along with prosperity comes a labour shortage. A critical shortage of skilled tradesmen has resulted from an aging workforce, fewer young people entering into trades, and more competition among employers.

Globally, there are hundreds of thousands of skilled tradespeople, in the Oil & Gas, Construction, Mining, and other trades who are eager to come to Canada. At CanadaTradeJobs.com, we can help you recruit, assess, and hire them, obtain work permits for them, then bring them to your company.

See how we can help you at Our services to Employers.  Then, contact our head office to discuss your needs, and how we can assist you.

"Building Canada’s Future, one tradesman at a time"

CandaTradeJobs.com

NB - above quoted with permission of CanadaTradeJobs.com Business-Immigration Lawyers and Consultants

Latest Updates on Canada Immigration Rules & Regulations

• Government of Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Communications Branch - WHAT'S NEW & LATEST AMENDMENTS TO THE IMMIGRATION ACT
  http://www.cic.gc.ca/english

HOT JOBS - Tradesmen In Demand For Employers in Alberta & BC

CanadaTradeJobs is now recruiting skilled tradesmen for positions in the Alberta Tar Sands, and the Construction Industry in BC and Alberta. Positions include the following:

• Welders
  canadatradejobs.com/trades/welder.html
• Pipefitters / SteamFitters
  canadatradejobs.com/trades/steamfitter-pipefitter.html
• Heavy Duty Mechanics / Heavy Equipment Technician
  canadatradejobs.com/trades/heavy-equipment-tech.html
• Crane Operators
• Fabricators
• Carpenters
• Electricians
• Plumbers

• Canada Work Permits
  • Introduction to Work Permits aka Work Visas
  • Traps & Pitfalls
  • Technology / Software Development Workers
  • Intra Company Transfers
  • Foreign Religious and Charitable Workers
  • HRSDC Labour Market Opinions
  • see also Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Government of Canada web site
• NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
  • General Introduction to NAFTA
  • NAFTA Business Visitors
  • NAFTA Investors
  • NAFTA Traders
  • NAFTA Professionals
  • NAFTA Intra Company Transferees

• Provincial Nominees Programs PNPs
  • General Intro. to BC Provincial Nominee Programs PNPs
  • BC's Strategic Occupations Provincial Nominee Program is designed to help BC employers to bring in the foreign talent that they need.
  • BC's International Student PNP Program
  • BC's Business Skills PNP Program is intended to assist business immigrants, with proven skills and financial resources, to "fast track" their plans to establish a business anywhere in BC
  • BC's Provincial Nominee Program Regional Business Category - for Regions outside of Vancouver
  • BC's PNP program is committed to helping public sector health care services address shortages in certain professions by accepting applications for two categories of health care professionals: Registered Nurses, and Physicians.
• Independent Skilled Workers
  • General Intro. to Point System Assemssement for Skilled Worker - Immigration Applicants
  • Arranged Employment Points
  • Assessing Independent Skilled Workers, with points assessed in 6 categories with a maximum of 100 points
  • Adaptability to Life in Canada Points
  • "Substituted Evaluation" by Immigration officer ... a subjective evaluation of the immigrant’s ability to successfully settle in Canada, and substitute this evaluation for the point system assessment.

• Business Immigrants
  • Business Category Comparison Chart
  • Investor Immigrants (Federal)
  • Investor Immigrants (Quebec)
  • Entrepreneur Immigration
  • Entrepreneur's Removal of Terms and Conditions
  • Self Employed Persons
• Family Sponsorships
  • Spouse and Dependent Children
  • Parents and Grandparents
  • Income Requirements for Sponsor's Relatives
  • Processing Delays - Admission Quotas Backlog
• Study Permits for Canada
  • General Intro. to Study Permits formerly also known as "Canada student visas"
  • Spousal Work Permits, for spouse of student to work in Canada
  • Post Graduation Work Permits
  • Working While You Are Studying
    There are a number of possibilities to work in Canada while you are studying. Some of these options require a work permit, while others do not.
• When Things Go Wrong With Your Immigration or Visa Application
  • Appeals
  • If You've Been Refused Before

Our Mission is the help people from overseas come to Canada to work, study and immigrate here, in an efficient and caring manner.  Our Senior Lawyers are recognized lecturers and authors in Canadian Immigration Law, and have helped clients from over 50 countries come to Canada.

Our immigration lawyers and business consultants speak:  English, Polish, Arabic, Mandarin-Chinese, Taiwanese Chinese and Cantonese Chinese.

We have helped people from 55 countries go through the Canada immigration process over the past 20 years.

Contact our Canada immigration lawyers / Registered Canada Immigration Consultants at info@canadavisalaw.com Canada's visa law and immigration, business and immigrant specialists.

Lowe & Company Business-Immigration Law Firm Offices are located at

Suite 900 - 777 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Canada V5Z 4J7
Tel.  604.875.9338
Fax.  604.875.1325

E-mail:  info@canadavisalaw.com
Web site:  CanadaVisalaw.com

CanadaVisaLaw.com
© copyright 2003-2008 Canada
Lowe and Company, barristers and solicitors
Canada's Immigration Lawyers and Immigration-Business Consultants

See also Jeffrey Lowe, Canada immigration lawyers profile at
Lawyers-BC.com

See also
Vancouver, BC lawyers directory  | Victoria, BC lawyers directoy  | Edmonton, Alberta lawyers directoy  | CanadaLegal.info
update 2006.07.31
MetroTown.info
Vancouver, Canada