Guide 5580 - Applying for a Work Permit - Student Guide - paper application

Before You Apply

Who may use this application guide?

This application guide is designed for international students in Canada who want to apply for a work permit.

This guide provides information on Canada’s work permit programs for international students:

• Co-op work permit;
• Post-graduation work permit.

The guide also provides information on your status as an international student in Canada and the conditions and requirements of work permits.

What is a work permit?

A work permit is a written authorization to work in Canada issued by an officer to a person who is not a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada. It is required if the employment location is in Canada, whether or not the employer is in Canada. Usually, it is valid only for a specific employer and length of time and is based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), or employment through an LMIA-exemption.

Are there any conditions on my work permit?

An officer may impose, vary or cancel conditions when issuing a work permit. These may include one or more of the following:

• the type of employment in which you may work;
• the employer for whom you may work;
• where you may work;
• how long you may continue to work;
• the times or periods of work.

What is the Co-op Work Permit Program?

International students may work as part of a co-op or internship program only if work is an essential part of an academic, professional or vocational training program offered by a Designated Learning Institution. To be able to work, students will need a co-op work permit and a study permit.

If the students are eligible, an open work permit can be issued with the institution listed as the employer. In situations where several work periods are necessary throughout the program, the work permit should be issued for the same period as the study permit.

How can I apply for a co-op work permit?

To be eligible for a work permit under a co-op or internship program, the following conditions must be met:

• you must have a valid study permit and your intended employment must be an essential part of
  • a postsecondary academic, vocational or professional training program;
  • a vocational training program at the secondary level in Quebec; or
  • a secondary level program that requires the student to work in order to obtain their secondary or high school diploma or certificate of graduation; and
  • offered by a Designated Learning Institution.
• your employment must be certified as part of the academic program by a responsible academic official of the institution; and
• your co-op or internship employment cannot form more than 50 percent of the total program of study; and
• you are not a medical intern or extern, nor a resident physician (except in veterinary medicine).

International students enrolled in English as a Second Language, French as a Second Language or general interest courses and programs, are not eligible to obtain a work permit under the Co-op Work Permit Program.

What is the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program?

Work permits issued under the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program allow international students who have graduated from a participating Canadian post-secondary institution to gain valuable Canadian work experience. Students may work in Canada for up to three years after graduation.

Does the length of my studies in Canada affect the length of the work permit?

The work permit cannot be valid longer than the official length of your program of study in Canada. For example, students graduating from a four-year degree program might be eligible for a three-year work permit. Students graduating from an eight-month certificate program would only be eligible for a work permit of eight months.

• If you studied for less than eight months
  • you are not eligible for this program.
• If you studied less than two years but more than eight months
  • you may get a work permit for a period no longer than the length of time you studied (for example, if you studied for nine months, a work permit may be issued for a period of nine months).
• If you studied for two years or more
  • a work permit may be issued for three years.

Important information: The validity period of your work permit cannot exceed that of your passport. Therefore, you should ensure that your passport's validity exceeds the amount of time you are requesting on your application.

May I leave Canada before my request for an initial or renewed work permit has been finalized?

Yes. It is strongly recommended that, at the port of entry, you present documentary proof (copy of application, copy of the fee payment receipt etc.) of your application for an extension as a visitor, student or worker.

Restoration of status

You may be able to restore your status as a student within 90 days of losing it, if you lost it because:

• you stayed in Canada longer than the period authorized for your stay (but not longer than 90 days).
• you changed employers, location of employment, or type of work (occupation or level of responsibility) before obtaining a new work permit.
• you changed the type of studies, educational institution, location of studies, or times and periods of studies without applying to change these conditions on your study permit if they were specified on your study permit.

You may still be eligible for restoration if you continue to meet the initial requirements for your stay and have not failed to comply with other conditions imposed.

If you wish to obtain a new study or work permit and restore your temporary resident status, you must

• submit your work permit application within 90 days of losing your status
• keep meeting the requirements for your stay
• meet all the remaining conditions listed on your permit, and
• pay your fees (for a new study permit and a work permit ($634)
  • restoration ($229)
  • study permit ($150)
  • work permit ($155) and
  • open work permit holder ($100)
  • biometric fees, if applicable

Restoration applies to each family member who has lost their status. There is no guarantee that your application will be approved.

An officer will evaluate your request for restoration of status and if approved will process your application for a study or work permit. You will then be advised if any further action needs to be taken.

When is a medical examination required?

If you are requesting a work permit to allow you to work in a designated occupation, such as the field of health services or with children, you must complete and pass a medical exam before you submit your application for a work permit. Examples of designated occupations include hospital staff, clinical laboratory workers, patient attendants in nursing and geriatric homes, and medical students admitted to attend Canadian universities. Find out more by checking the Medical examination requirements for temporary residents.

If you want to work in agricultural occupations, a medical examination will be needed if you have visited or lived in a designated country for more than six months during the past year. Check the list of designated countries.

Medical instructions

You may either:

• undergo an upfront medical examination by contacting a Panel Physician; or
• wait until your application is reviewed and medical instructions are provided to you by the Case Processing Centre.

Get instructions to complete a medical examination.

Step 1. Gather documents

What documents are required?

What must I do to submit my application?

Step 2. Complete the Application

Important information: It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information on these forms. The information you provide on your application may be subject to verification.

Complete all sections. If a question or a section does not apply to you, write “Not Applicable” or “NA”, except for your name (last name and given name[s]). Refer to questions 1 and 2 under the "Personal Details" section of form IMM 5710 for more instructions. The application must be signed and dated.

If your application is incomplete it may be rejected and this will delay the processing of your application.

If you need more space for any section, print out an additional page containing the appropriate section, complete it and submit it with your application.

Document Checklist – Students applying for a Work Permit (IMM 5583)

Step 3. Pay the Fees

Required fees

You must pay a processing fee for each service that you require and all fees must be submitted with your application. If you apply for more than one service on a single application you must add up the fees for each service and submit the total of the fees with your application.

Use this chart to calculate the fees required for the services you are requesting.

Make sure that you are eligible before you pay your fees and that you provide all the information requested before you submit the application. The processing fee will not be refunded, regardless of the final decision once the Case Processing Centre has started processing the application. For example, if your study permit has expired and you incorrectly apply for an extension of your study permit instead of a restoration, no refund for the extension will be provided and you will have to reapply for a restoration with the correct fees.

A determination that you are not eligible is considered as “processing” and the fee will not be refunded. If you apply again, you will have to pay another processing fee.

Step 4. Submit the Application

If you are applying under the following programs:

• Co-Op Work Program
• Post-Graduation Work Permit Program

Submit the document checklist

What Happens Next?

Processing times for your application

Your responsibilities

Once you receive a work permit you must respect the conditions of the work permit and continue to meet the eligibility requirements of your Student Work Program.

What must I do if I want to change school or institution?

You must notify us via your account when you are transferring from one DLI to another, even if it is at the same level of study. You must make sure that the school you want to transfer to is on the DLI List.

You need to ensure that you continue to meet the conditions of your study permit, as well as the conditions that allow you to work, if applicable.

What must I do if I no longer meet the requirements of a study work program?

If at any time you become ineligible for the program, you should:

• inform your employer that you are no longer authorized to work, and
• surrender your work permit. Visit the Study in Canada webpage for more information.

You may then re-apply at a later date (at least six months later) when you meet the eligibility requirements again.

Factors that can facilitate processing

There are certain things you can do to help ensure that your application is processed as fast as possible:

• ensure that all the documentation and information requested is provided with your application
• tell us if your contact information changes, including:
  • mailing address
  • telephone numbers
  • facsimile number (fax)
  • e-mail address

Factors that may delay processing

The following factors may delay the processing of your application:

• missing signature on application forms
• missing documentation
• incorrect fee payment
• unclear photocopies of documents
• documents not accompanied by a certified English or French translation
• verification of information and documents provided
• a medical condition that may require additional tests or consultations
• a criminal or security problem
• consultation is required with other offices in Canada and abroad

Quality Assurance Program

Our quality assurance program randomly selects applications for a special review. If selected you will be asked to attend an interview with an official so that we can:

• verify the documentation you submitted is accurate,
• verify that your application has been completed properly.

Online services

For more information on the programs offered by IRCC, visit our website.

Features

The Case Processing Centre will review your application to determine if it is complete. If your application is not signed or if the required fee is missing, your application will be returned to you and you will have to re-apply.

If your application is rejected as ‘incomplete’, it is considered to have never been submitted and therefore you would not be able to maintain your status. If you reapply after your current status has expired, you will need to apply for restoration of status. See the section Restoration of Status.

If your application is complete, the Case Processing Centre will send you either:

• a visitor record, a new work permit or a new study permit; or
• a letter refusing your application; or
• notification that your application has been referred to a local IRCC centre for further assessment.

The Case Processing Centre processes most of the applications it receives, however, a small number are referred to a local office for further clarification. If your application is referred to a local office, they will contact you to obtain additional information or clarification and may invite you to an interview. It may take up to three months for them to contact you.

Once they receive the additional information or clarification, the local office will complete the final stages of processing and if required, invite you to an interview.