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| Terminology "Work Visa" aka "Work Permit"
| Traps & Pitfalls of Work Visa / Work Permit Area
| NAFTA Work Visa
| Technology Workers' Work
Visa
| Intra Company Transfer Work Visa
| Religious-Charitable Workers Work Permits / Work Visa |
Terms "Work Visa" aka "Work Permit"
What people often call a "Canada Work Visa" is officially known as a "Work Permit" by
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
"Every year over
90,000 foreign workers enter Canada working temporarily to help Canadian
employers address skill shortages in Canada. Citizenship and Immigration
Canada (CIC) and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC) ensure that
these workers will support economic growth in Canada and create more
opportunities for all Canadian job seekers."
"In almost all cases you must have a valid work permit to work in
Canada."
quote from CIC web site on "Work Temporarily in Canada" section as of 2003/09/15
Possible Traps & Pitfalls in the Canada Work Visa ie Work Permit Area of
Citizenship and Immigration Canada Services
There are a number of traps and pitfalls in the Canada Work Permit / Work Visa area - which people can unwittingly fall into.
Some of these could have serious repercussions on both the foreign worker and the Canadian company. These include:
- 6 month ban for working illegally:
If you have worked in Canada without a Work Visa / Work Permit, and don't have a valid exemption you can rely on, you
could be banned from obtaining a Work Permit for 6 months from the date that you ceased working.
There are only limited exceptions which will excuse you from this 6 month ban, and if your company depends
on your services this could cause severe problems. Under the old regulations, there was a provision for
relief where the offence was unintentional or excusable for a "valid reason."
The new Regulations have no such relief provision.
- Misrepresenting or Withholding material facts:
If on a Work Permit Application, you misrepresent the facts, or don't disclose any relevant facts, you could be deemed
inadmissible, and be forced to leave Canada immediately. For example, say you were working in Canada thinking that you did not need a Work Permit.
You then discovered that you did need one, and you applied for it but didn't disclose that you were working without
authorization; you could be guilty of a misrepresentation, and be force to leave Canada.
- Ban from returning to Canada:
If you have been found inadmissible because of a misrepresentation, or any other offence
under any Canadian law, you may
not be able to immigrate to Canada, or even come back to Canada, without the
consent from the Minister of Immigration.
- Leaving Canada during renewal processing:
If you have a Work Permit, and apply for an extension, you usually have the right to
continue to work in Canada until
Canada Immigration has dealt with your application and either renewed your Work
Permit or rejected the application. If you
leave the country, even for a short business trip, after your Work Permit expires
but before the new one is issued, you may
not be able to come back to work.
- Limitations on renewals:
Some categories of Work Permits have limited renewal periods.
For example, if you are coming to Canada as a NAFTA Intra Company Transferee on the basis of
"specialized knowledge", you may have difficulty renewing your Work Permit after
3 years, because you may be expected to transfer that knowledge to Canadians during that
time. Other categories have different renewal limitations which may be more beneficial to
your case.
Canada Work Permits aka Canada Work Visa - General Introduction
for more information see CanadaVisaLaw.com Introduction to Canada Work Permits
NAFTA Work Visa - information for USA & Mexico citizens to work temporarily in Canada
Go to CanadaVisaLaw.com Canada and NAFTA Work Permit Section
Technology Workers, e.g. information technology &
software developers, and Canada Work Visa information
see CanadaVisaLaw.com re Canada Work Permits for Technology workers
Intra Company Transfer - Work Visa applications [notes for Employers and Employees]
see CanadaVisalaw.com re Intracompany Transfers
Religious Worker Category & Work Visa / Work Permit
see Religious Workers Permits CanadaVisaLaw.com
| Terminology "Work Visa" aka "Work Permit"
| Traps & Pitfalls of Work Visa / Work Permit Area
| NAFTA Work Visa
| Technology Workers' Work
Visa
| Intra Company Transferee Work Visa
| Religious Worker Visa |
|