Work Permit Advice

[OliviaHan25]

Hi,

I'm looking to move to Toronto in the near future and working as either a vet technician or dog trainer (have already approached several places and a few are happy to interview me when I arrive.) My question is what would be the best approach to obtaining a job/temp foreign worker visa would I be best continuing as I am and applying for jobs in the UK and trying to get a job permit sorted before I move or coming across to Toronto for a month attending interviews etc then going from there? Applying for a work permit at the border? I am trying to work this out as best I can as have no real idea what I am doing! Any advice would be so appreciated! I am 25 and currently residing in the UK xx

 

[fkl]

You just can't. It doesn't matter if an employer is happy to interview you UNLESS HE is willing to apply for an LMO on your behalf and get that approved. ONLY THEN you can get a work permit at the airport / POE. Did you tell your employer that i don't have a valid work status in Canada and would need an LMO? The percentage of employers willing would go down significantly though if you can find one - you should be good to go. LMO approval could take any where between a few weeks to many months. Keep that in mind. All the best.

 

[OliviaHan25]

Hi,

Yeah I know about LMO's but was under the impression once I had a job offer I could go to the border and get a Work Permit directly? If an employer already has employed foreign workers then do they have to re-apply for an LMO? I've had some advice from someone who used to work as an immigration paralegal but hasn't for a year or two so its outdated information. Thank you for your help!

 

[fkl]

No problem. LMO is prerequisite of a work permit. So you cannot go to border and get a wp (Even this going to border thing is only applicable to you probably because you are a UK resident / citizen and do not require a visa to visit Canada. Otherwise, you can't even get a work permit at airport and have to apply for that from inside your country).

In some very limited cases, employers do have pre approved LMO's (though usually for low skilled jobs) which do not have employee name, which they get added latter. Still it is not that simple and naming employee on LMO is still a process.

Lastly, an employer needs to apply for LMO for every single employee separately. Having done this previously might improve their credibility a bit and might pace up the process some what. But it does not change the requirements. The employer basically has to show to HRDSC that they couldn't hire a Canadian for this position and need this foreign national for the particular role. This is not an easy thing to do unless the job is highly specialized and prospective employee possess the very skill

 

[OliviaHan25]

Thank you again! Does it affect the likelyness of getting an LMO/WP dependent on the NOC code? The jobs I am applying for are B.. I dont really know what that means though!

 

[fkl]

Yes it does to some extent.

NOC 0 are usually management jobs
NOC A are technical / professional jobs such as engineers, doctors etc.
NOC B are other jobs such as technicians, restaurant counter supervisors, cooks etc.

All three of these combine together to form "SKILLED NOCs" and they are eligible for several things e.g. their spouse can get a SOWP and children can get study / trv visas along with them in Canada while those of other NOCs level C,D etc. cannot. Plus there are other things like for e.g. after one year of working in any skilled NOC you can apply for PR through CEC which is probably the fastest processing PR program and is designed to give incentive to people who have lived and WORKED in Canada for at least a year

 

[OliviaHan25]

Sorry for being so dense! So does that make it easier for me to get a work permit? Just trying to make sure I understand it all! Lastly I may also be offered an apprenticeship within a dog training school that is rapidly expanding. Would I be able to apply for a study visa with this?

 

[scylla]

You need a work permit if you want to complete an apprenticeship in Canada. And in order for you to apply for a work permit, your employer will first need to obtain an LMO.

An apprenticeship won't allow you to apply for a study permit.

 

[amira_mais]

You need to find out what the relevant provincial government requires in order to let you undertake an apprenticeship as a foreign national. For example, in Manitoba, you would need both a study permit and a work permit to be an apprentice.

I did a Google search but wasn't able to find out exactly what the Ontario government requires. To some degree, it also depends on the trade's regulatory body (for example, the Electrical Contractors Association of Ontario only accepts Canadians or permanent residents as apprentices).

To get a direct answer to your specific situation, here is the link to contact Ontario's Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities: http://www.tcu.gov.on.ca/eng/contact.html

 

[fkl]

that's good info @amira_mais. Thanks +1. I had no idea about specifics of apprenticeships in Canada.