Work without a Work Permit

Most of the foreign nationals require a work permit to work in Canada. A work permit is a legal document that allows a foreign national to work in Canada and receive compensation from the employer. However, in certain circumstances, a foreign national is allowed to work in the country without a work permit.

Jobs that do not require a work permit in Canada

A foreign national does not require a Canadian work permit, if his/her job is one of the following:

• 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
• A 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 advertisements
• Performing artist
• Public speaker
• Short-term highly-skilled worker
• Short-term researcher
• Student working off-campus
• Student working on-campus

However, a foreign national is not exempt from the work permit requirement if his/her job is included in the list alone. Additionally, they must meet the exemption criteria specified for their job under the International Mobility Program.