In Canada, every year a large number of foreign immigrants choose to settle in the country for lucrative employment. With stable working hours, opportunities for economic growth, and other numerous benefits related to employment as well as lifestyle, Canada has become one of the favorable countries to migrate and settle in. However, many people find the immigration process overwhelming, especially when it comes to getting work permits. Moreover, the fear of losing a job in Canada can put you in an unfavorable situation. Let us have a look at these concerns and how you can tackle them.
What is A Closed Work Permit and What to Do if You Lose your Job?
Immigrants can enter the Canadian job market by applying for work permits. In that case, there are two types of work permits that are assigned to foreigners, closed work permits and open work permits.
An open work permit means you can work in Canada under any employer. Therefore, you wouldn’t have any restrictions while changing any form of employment. However, you need to renew your permit if you wish to continue working in Canada. Do not forget to check whether you are eligible to renew your open work permit.
On the other hand, a closed work permit or an employer-specific work permit means you can only work under the specific employer with which you applied for the permit. Any variation to the status of your current employment is to be notified in case of a closed work permit.
Since the closed work permit is provided according to the specific job offer, and based on the employer’s details and information, it becomes hard for you to stay in the country if you lose the job. If you manage to secure another job within a certain time, you could apply for a new permit based on that employer’s details. Otherwise, you have to apply for an open work permit.
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How to Change Jobs in Canada?
With open work permits, you can work in the country without notifying specific details of the job, change jobs from one to another, and sustain. But with an employer-specific permit, if you lose the job, the work permit gets rebuked. In that case, if you want to change jobs, you have to follow the guidelines of the International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit. Before applying for this, you must verify whether you are eligible.
Firstly, you either have to apply for a new employer-specific work permit or already have one. This does not apply if you have applied for a new open work permit. Next, you have to fill out the IRCC web form which will ask for specific details about the employer and the job. If you have applied for a new permit via paper, include the courier tracking number since you don’t have the application number. It will take 6-8 weeks for the authorities to mail you after which you can start working for your new employer.
Should You Settle For A Lower-salary Job?
When an employer terminates someone from a job wrongfully, it is the responsibility of the employer to provide compensation for that. However, the severance is conditioned as such that the employee is looking for a job actively. Moreover, for someone with a closed work permit, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay in Canada after such dismissal. In the case of immigrants, the terminated employees might have to choose a lower-salary job to re-apply for a work permit to secure their legal status in the country. However, when the court intervened in such cases, they asked the company to take responsibility for the job changes and secure employees’ positions until he/she lands another job.
Final Take
Hence, it might seem difficult to change jobs with a closed work permit as it is based on employer-specific details. However, the options that IRCC provides with the web form to re-apply for a new work permit are what make the lives of immigrants easier in Canada. While applying for a new work permit, the country allows the immigrant to stay in and look for new jobs that are suitable for them. Moreover, due to the increasing labor crisis in Canada, the government is constantly improving its immigration process to help newcomers have a stable and fruitful time in the country.