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Visitor Pass - Can I look for a job?

Jan 21, 2023
11
1
Hi all.

My partner and I are in the Express Entry pool but our points are not sufficient to get the ITA at the moment. We really want to move to Canada by mid next year. I read online that we can apply for a Visitor Pass that allows us to stay in Canada for 6 months.

My question is - can I look for a job while on a Visitor Pass, and have it converted to a Work Pass so that I can stay in Canada longer? Our intention is to migrate to Canada permanently, get our PRs and subsequently citizenship. There are articles online saying that you can look for employment while on Visitor Pass, but there are also advice contradicting this so I'm very confused.

Has anyone done this before and can you share any advice on it? It will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
 

Naturgrl

VIP Member
Apr 5, 2020
44,965
9,536
Hi all.

My partner and I are in the Express Entry pool but our points are not sufficient to get the ITA at the moment. We really want to move to Canada by mid next year. I read online that we can apply for a Visitor Pass that allows us to stay in Canada for 6 months.

My question is - can I look for a job while on a Visitor Pass, and have it converted to a Work Pass so that I can stay in Canada longer? Our intention is to migrate to Canada permanently, get our PRs and subsequently citizenship. There are articles online saying that you can look for employment while on Visitor Pass, but there are also advice contradicting this so I'm very confused.

Has anyone done this before and can you share any advice on it? It will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
You can apply for a TRV showing funds, travel history, ties to home country. Your TRV may be refused. Depending on where you live processing can take many months.

You cannot convert a TRV to a work permit. You can come to Canada and look for a job but cannot work. You need a job offer and your employer needs to file for a LMIA, proving no Canadian or PR can do the job, only you. If your employer gets a LMIA then you can file for a closed work permit proving you can do the job - employment letters, IELTS, ECA. Then you wait. Many employers don’t go through the LMIA process so it can take many months to get a LMIA job and then apply for a closed work permit so have lots of money to wait up to a year.

What is your CRS score and NOC? With all that time waiting for all these permits, and the chances of getting a LMIA are low then you are better off learning French.
 

bellaluna

VIP Member
May 23, 2014
7,405
1,781
Hi all.

My partner and I are in the Express Entry pool but our points are not sufficient to get the ITA at the moment. We really want to move to Canada by mid next year. I read online that we can apply for a Visitor Pass that allows us to stay in Canada for 6 months.

My question is - can I look for a job while on a Visitor Pass, and have it converted to a Work Pass so that I can stay in Canada longer? Our intention is to migrate to Canada permanently, get our PRs and subsequently citizenship. There are articles online saying that you can look for employment while on Visitor Pass, but there are also advice contradicting this so I'm very confused.

Has anyone done this before and can you share any advice on it? It will be very much appreciated. Thank you!
That’s not how it works in Canada. If you want to move to Canada sooner, look into PNPs to boost your EE points, or the very expensive study permit route.
 
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