Canada: Details on Permit for temporarily working.

Each year more than 150,000 foreign workers enter Canada to work temporarily in jobs and help Canadian employers address skill shortages or to work as caregivers.

A work permit is usually required to work temporarily in Canada. By cons, some jobs do not require a work permit. If you are one of the categories below, you do not need a work permit.

1: Performers:
Foreign artists and their essential support staff, that is to say, persons whose presence is essential to the conduct of the show can work in Canada without a license only under the following conditions:
-They occur only for a limited period.
-They do not give shows in bars and restaurants. If they have to perform in bars or restaurants, foreign artists and their staff must obtain a work permit.
-They do not establish an employment relationship with the Canadian company that has retained their services.
-They do not participate in the making of a film or television or radio.

2: Athletes and Coaches:
The teams, athletes and coaches foreigners are allowed to participate in competitions in Canada without a work permit.

3: Speakers:
Guest speakers, commercial speakers or seminar leaders are allowed to present lectures or to provide training in Canada without a work permit provided that the activity does not last more than five days.

4: Ecclesiastical:
People who come to Canada to work as pastors and priests who have received ordination or lay members of religious orders do not require a work permit to perform their religious duties or assist a group religious. These duties include preaching a doctrine, to hold liturgical functions and provide spiritual counseling.

5: Employment on campus
Foreign students who study full time can work in Canada without a work permit on the campus of the university where they study.
To study in Canada, international students may need a work permit.

6: Investigation of an accident or aircraft incident:
Accredited representatives or advisors coming to Canada to participate in an investigation of an accident or incident under the Aviation Act, the Canadian Bureau of Accident Investigation of transport and transport safety have not need a work permit.

7: Students in health care.
Foreign students who hold a position of residence, external or stock in a hospital must apply for a work permit.

8: Examiners responsible for evaluating:
Professors and academic experts are allowed to come to Canada without a work permit to evaluate or supervise school projects, research projects and university theses. This authorization applies to research organizations and academic institutions in Canada.

9: Officials of foreign governments:
Canada has signed exchange agreements with certain countries so that officials can work in the ministries of these countries and vice versa. Officials who come to work in Canada do not need a work permit, but must submit a formal letter of agreement if they intend to work in Canada for more than three months.

10: Providers of emergency services:
People who come to Canada to assist in an emergency do not require a work permit if they come to Canada to help preserve the life or property of people. An emergency is defined as including natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes and industrial accidents that pose a threat to the environment.

11: Civil aviation inspectors:
Inspectors coming to Canada to perform safety inspections of flight operations or safety of passengers on behalf of a commercial air carrier providing international flights do not require a work permit.

12: Journalists, camera crew, media:
Employees of a foreign news organization do not need a work permit to produce reports on events taking place on Canadian soil.

13: Judges referees and officials like:
The official international amateur athletic competitions are allowed to come to Canada without a work permit in order to act as judge or arbitrator. This includes judges and jury members at events such as arts and cultural festivals of music and dance, the judges of animal exhibits and judges of agricultural competitions.

14: Crew
The foreign crew members, such as truckers, bus drivers and operating personnel in aviation and shipping, do not need work permits:
-If they work on vehicles belonging and foreign registration, serving mainly international transport of goods and passengers,
-If their functions are related to the operation of transport or delivery of services to passengers.

15: Family member’s representatives of a foreign government:
To work in Canada without a license, the husband / wife and children of foreign representatives must obtain:
-Accreditation
-A letter of no objection from Where to obtain the letter of no objection.

16: Conference organizers:
Organizers and administrative staff who organize meetings or conventions in Canada do not need a work permit.
Essentially Individuals who provide technical services at these events must have a work permit for example, audiovisual services, stage decoration, construction, installation and disassembly.

17: Military Personnel:
The armed forces of another country are eligible to work in Canada without a permit if they are in possession of travel orders indicating that they enter Canada under the Act Visiting Forces in Canada.

18: Representatives of a foreign government:
Diplomats and officials from other countries or the United Nations, as well as their staff, do not need a permit to work in Canada.

19: Expert witnesses or investigators:
The experts are allowed to work in Canada without a work permit when they testify before a regulatory agency or court.

20: Business visitors:
Business visitors do not need a work permit.
Business visitors are people who go to Canada to international affairs without directly entering the Canadian job market.

Who can apply?

Some temporary workers require a work permit and some do not. In addition, applications for permits of workers who belong to certain categories are processed faster.

The requirements and processing time of an application depends on the type of work you do in Canada.

Eligibility of the application made outside Canada:

To apply for a work permit from outside Canada, you must provide the following documents.
- A job offer from a Canadian employer.
- An application form indicating that you meet the requirements of the Immigration Act and the Refugee Protection and Regulation of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Eligibility of the request from Canada
-You can apply from within Canada under the following conditions.
-You have a study permit or a valid work permit, or your spouse or your parents have a study permit or work permit.
-You have a temporary resident permit valid for a period of six months or more.
-You have a temporary resident permit valid for a period of six months or more.
-You are in Canada because you have already applied for permanent residence from within Canada. You need to take various steps of the main application process before applying for a work permit.

Eligibility of the request upon arrival in Canada
You can apply for work permits upon arrival in Canada, but only if you are able to meet the following requirements:
-You are from a country whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement;
-Your job does not get HRSDC an opinion on the labor market (some exceptions apply);
-You have an opinion on the labor market of HRSDC.

How to Apply:

Follow following instructions:
1: Check processing time of a request.
2: Obtain the application package.
3: Decide when you submit your application.
4: Check if you need a passport and a temporary resident visa.
5: Pay the costs of processing the application.
6: Send your application form.

After the above procedures the department may ask you for an interview and then even a medical examination.

On Arrival you are to present your documents. The department shall check your medical insurance, health insurance and compensation for injured workers in Canada. The Department will give you a Social Insurance Number. If possible they will inquire about your spouse or common-law partner wishes to work in Canada. Further if your kids want to work in Canada that will be managed. You may also want to stay in Canada and check the employment standards and labor standards. You may also require contacting an office of labor standards provincial or territorial.

A work permit allows you to work in Canada for some time. If you want to stay longer in Canada, for the following reasons, once your license is expired, you must apply: job extension or modification. You may want to live and work in Canada permanently. Or you may want to leave Canada and come back later.

Notably Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, in consultation with stakeholders, have prepared all the changes to the Regulations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Some of the key changes:
-More rigorous evaluation of the authenticity of the job;
-A ban on hiring temporary foreign workers for two years on employers who do not respect their commitments to workers with respect to wages, working conditions and employment;
-Imposing a limit on the length of time a temporary foreign worker may work in Canada before having to return home.

You Rights as a Temporary worker:

Canadian laws protect all workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers like you.
Your employer:
-Must pay you for your work;
-Ensure that your workplace is safe;
-You cannot withdraw your passport or work permit.

Each jurisdiction has an office responsible for labor standards and employment. An official of the office nearest you can talk about fair pay, working hours, rest periods, working conditions in addition to offering other services

Important For Haitians:
Recently reports from CIC has that If you are a Haitian national who came to Canada before January 13, 2011 and you apply for a work permit or extension of work permit, your exemption from the requirement to provide an opinion on the labor market ( AMT ) as part of your application is now extended. The requirement for the AMT will remain in place for all those who came to Canada after that date.

Those eligible have until 1st September 2012 to submit their application. Work permits are generally valid for one year.

Source: (CIC)