Work in Canada Without a Work Permit – August 2024

While most foreign workers require a Canadian work permit, there are exceptions. Understanding these exceptions can help you determine if you qualify to work in Canada temporarily without a permit. Even if you don’t need a work permit, you may still require a Temporary Resident Visa to enter Canada for a short stay.

Overview of Work Permits in Canada

Generally, anyone planning to work in Canada needs a valid work permit, a document that allows them to work and earn a salary from a Canadian employer. However, certain jobs exempt you from needing a work permit. Let’s explore these unique job categories and how they enable you to work in Canada without requiring a work permit.

Jobs That Don’t Require a Work Permit

Canada offers specific employment opportunities where a work permit is unnecessary. It’s important to note that just being in one of these occupations doesn’t automatically exempt you from needing a work permit. You must also meet other criteria, which are outlined on the International Mobility Program page.

Here are the jobs that may qualify:

• Athlete or Coach
• Aviation Accident or Incident Investigator
• Business Visitor
• Civil Aviation Inspector
• Clergy
• Convention Organizer
• Crew Member
• Emergency Service Provider
• Examiner and Evaluator
• Expert Witness or Investigator
• Family Member of Foreign Representative
• Foreign Government Officer or Representative
• Health Care Student
• Judge, Referee, or Similar Official
• Military Personnel
• News Reporter or Film and Media Crew
• Producer or Staff Member Working on Commercials
• Performing Artist
• Public Speaker
• Short-term Highly-skilled Worker
• Short-term Researcher
• Student Working Off-campus
• Student Working On-campus

If you are employed in one of these roles, you might be eligible to work in Canada without a work permit.

Athletes and Team Members

Professional or amateur athletes may travel to Canada to participate in sports activities or events, either individually or as part of a team. Additionally, foreign coaches and trainers, as well as other essential team members, may enter Canada for such events. According to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the following individuals may qualify under this exemption:

• Amateur players on Canadian teams
• Foreign pet owners entering their animals in a show
• Jockeys racing horses from foreign stables
• Race car drivers
• Individuals attending professional team tryouts
• Foreign team members participating in a competition in Canada
• Grooms or team support members
• Full or part-time coaches and trainers

Spouses of professional athletes may also be eligible for a work permit exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process for their time in Canada.

News Reporters and Media Crews

News reporters and their crews who come to Canada to cover events may do so without a work permit, provided the company they work for is not Canadian. However, this does not include administrative or clerical staff unless covering special events lasting no more than six months. Media crews producing travelogues, documentaries, etc., typically require work permits, though this is at the discretion of the Canadian Visa Officer reviewing their application.

Public Speakers

Guest speakers at events, business speakers, and seminar leaders may present in Canada without a work permit. A seminar in this context is defined as a small class or intensive course lasting no more than five days. Commercial speakers in this category typically have a vested interest in the event they are speaking at, such as renting commercial space, advertising the event, and charging admission. Those hired by a Canadian entity must secure an LMIA and work permit for their time in Canada.

Convention Organizers

This category includes individuals coming to Canada to organize a convention or conference, as well as administrative support staff of the organizing committee. Events may include corporate meetings, trade shows, exhibitions, etc. However, hands-on service providers like audiovisual technicians are not included in this category. Convention organizers contracted to work at a Canadian event are not eligible to work without a work permit. IRCC defines a Canadian event as one held by an organization established and actively doing business in Canada.

Individuals attending conventions and meetings are considered business visitors and are exempt from requiring a work permit.

Clergy

Individuals who preach, conduct religious services, or provide spiritual counseling as a profession may work in Canada without a work permit. These individuals may be ordained ministers, laypersons, or members of a religious order. The primary duties of the temporary worker should reflect a religious objective, such as providing religious education or promoting a particular faith.

Those seeking entry to Canada under this exemption must provide documentation verifying:

• The legitimacy of the job offer
• Their ability to serve a congregation (qualifications, previous employment, etc.)

Those conducting charitable or religious work in Canada may require a work permit; however, that permit is exempt from the LMIA process.

Judges, Referees, and Similar Officials

Judges, referees, and similar officials may come to Canada to participate in international amateur sports, artistic, agricultural, or cultural events and competitions. Amateur sports competitions should be organized by an international amateur sports body and hosted by a Canadian organization. In this context, “amateur” means a competition in which competitors are not paid to compete. Judges, referees, and similar officials participating in professional sports competitions must obtain an LMIA and work permit.

Examiners and Evaluators

Foreign professors and examiners may enter Canada to evaluate theses and projects conducted by their students. They can do so without obtaining a work permit.

Expert Witnesses or Investigators

Experts who need to enter Canada to conduct surveys or investigations used as evidence, or who will testify as expert witnesses before a regulatory body or court of law, may do so without requiring a work permit.

Health Care Students

Foreign health care students enrolled in foreign institutions may participate in clinical clerkships or short-term practicums in Canada without obtaining work permits. Students may study fields such as medicine, nursing, medical technology, and occupational and physical therapy. These practicums should be unpaid and last no more than four months.

Foreign health care students who will be paid for their work, or who will spend more than four months in Canada, will require a work permit.

Civil Aviation Inspectors

Flight operations and cabin safety inspectors may evaluate commercial international flights without requiring a work permit. Inspectors must be employed by a recognized aeronautical authority and hold valid documentation verifying this employment.

Aviation Accident or Incident Investigators

Accredited agents and advisers assisting in the investigation of an aviation accident or incident may do so without securing a work permit. The investigation should be conducted under the authority of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.

Crew Members

Crew members do not require a work permit if they are working on a foreign-owned and registered means of transportation engaged primarily in international transportation. They may work in operations, maintenance, or passenger service capacities.

Due to the varying laws governing work conducted by crews on different modes of transportation, it is crucial to ensure that one’s work will indeed be eligible for a work permit exemption before coming to Canada.

Emergency Service Providers

Workers entering Canada to provide services during emergencies may do so without a work permit. Their work should focus on preserving life and property in response to natural disasters or commercial accidents.

Canada has specific agreements with the United States to facilitate the movement of emergency service workers across the border. These workers may include healthcare professionals, medical teams, as well as appraisers and repair crews.

Canada also participates in the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Cross-border Disaster Displacement Program, which helps facilitate the movement of emergency service providers in response to humanitarian crises.

Business Visitors

Business visitors who engage in international business activities but do not enter the Canadian labor market can work in Canada without a work permit. These activities typically include attending meetings, conferences, or training sessions. Business visitors may be required to demonstrate their ties to their home country and that they will return home after their business in Canada is completed.

For more detailed information, please visit the IRCC website.