Immigration law
Canadian work permits, prepared properly
Employer-specific or open, first application or extension — complete, well-documented filings by a lawyer who tells you the honest odds first.
The main routes to working in Canada
- Employer-specific permits — tied to a named employer, usually via LMIA or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.
- Open work permits — for eligible spouses and partners, certain graduates, and other defined categories.
- Post-graduation work permits — for graduates of eligible Canadian programs; length depends on the program and current rules.
- International agreements — professionals and transferees under trade agreements, often LMIA-exempt.
Where applications go wrong
Refusals cluster around the same faults: job offers poorly documented, proof of qualifications missing, dual intent handled clumsily, and deadlines missed on extensions. Every one is preventable with preparation — which is the entire value of having the application built by our office as your authorized representative with IRCC.
Start with the honest assessment
Bring your offer, status documents and history to a consultation — first 15 minutes free, by Google Meet from anywhere. If the application is weak or the timing is wrong, you will hear it then, with a plan to fix it.
Work permit questions
What is the difference between an open and employer-specific work permit?+
An employer-specific permit ties you to the employer, job and often location named on it — usually backed by an LMIA or an LMIA-exempt offer. An open work permit lets you work for most employers in Canada and is available in specific situations, such as some spouses of workers and students, and post-graduation permit holders.
What is an LMIA?+
A Labour Market Impact Assessment — the document many employers must obtain to show that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market. Some categories are LMIA-exempt under international agreements and the International Mobility Program.
My permit is expiring. What are my options?+
Apply to extend before expiry — you generally keep working under maintained status while the extension processes. If it has already expired, restoration may be available within the applicable window. Both are deadline-driven: act immediately.
Can a work permit lead to permanent residence?+
Often — Canadian work experience is central to Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class and many provincial nominee streams. We plan permit strategy with the PR endgame in mind from the first consultation.
Get your work permit strategy confirmed
Your first 15 minutes are a free intake call. Substantive advice is billed at $199 per half-hour (CAD), and we confirm the rate with you before billed time begins. Meet us by Google Meet video call or in person at 25 Watline Avenue, Unit GR21, Mississauga. Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM.