Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations

Marginal note:Work permits

• 200 (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) — and, in respect of a foreign national who makes an application for a work permit before entering Canada, subject to section 87.3 of the Act — an officer shall issue a work permit to a foreign national if, following an examination, it is established that

  • (a) the foreign national applied for it in accordance with Division 2;

  • (b) the foreign national will leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay under Division 2 of Part 9;

  • (c) the foreign national

    • (i) is described in section 206 or 208,

    • (ii) intends to perform work described in section 204 or 205 but does not have an offer of employment to perform that work or is described in section 207 but does not have an offer of employment,

    • (ii.1) intends to perform work described in section 204 or 205 and has an offer of employment to perform that work or is described in section 207 and has an offer of employment, and an officer has determined, on the basis of any information provided on the officer’s request by the employer making the offer and any other relevant information,

      • (A) that the offer is genuine under subsection (5), and

      • (B) that the employer, except an employer referred to in any of paragraphs 209.91(a) to (d),

        • (I) during the six-year period before the day on which the application for the work permit is received by the Department, provided each foreign national employed by the employer with employment in the same occupation as that set out in the foreign national’s offer of employment and with wages and working conditions that were substantially the same as — but not less favourable than — those set out in that offer, or

        • (II) is able to justify, under subsection 203(1.1), any failure to satisfy the criteria set out in subclause (I), or

    • (iii) has been offered employment, and an officer has made a positive determination under paragraphs 203(1)(a) to (e); and

  • (d) [Repealed, SOR/2004-167, s. 56]

  • (e) the requirements of subsections 30(2) and (3) are met, if they must submit to a medical examination under paragraph 16(2)(b) of the Act.

• Marginal note:Non-application of par. (1)(b)

  (2) Paragraph (1)(b) does not apply to a foreign national who satisfies the criteria set out in section 206 or paragraph 207(c) or (d).

• Marginal note:Exceptions

  (3) An officer shall not issue a work permit to a foreign national if

  • (a) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the foreign national is unable to perform the work sought;

  • (b) in the case of a foreign national who intends to work in the Province of Quebec and does not hold a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec, a determination under section 203 is required and the laws of that Province require that the foreign national hold a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec;

  • (c) the work that the foreign national intends to perform is likely to adversely affect the settlement of any labour dispute in progress or the employment of any person involved in the dispute;

  • (d) [Repealed, SOR/2017-78, s. 8]

  • (e) the foreign national has engaged in unauthorized study or work in Canada or has failed to comply with a condition of a previous permit or authorization unless

    • (i) a period of six months has elapsed since the cessation of the unauthorized work or study or failure to comply with a condition,

    • (ii) the study or work was unauthorized by reason only that the foreign national did not comply with conditions imposed under paragraph 185(a), any of subparagraphs 185(b)(i) to (iii) or paragraph 185(c);

    • (iii) section 206 applies to them; or

    • (iv) the foreign national was subsequently issued a temporary resident permit under subsection 24(1) of the Act;

  • (f) in the case of a foreign national referred to in subparagraphs (1)(c)(i) to (iii), the issuance of a work permit would be inconsistent with the terms of a federal-provincial agreement that apply to the employment of foreign nationals;

  • (f.1) in the case of a foreign national referred to in subparagraph (1)(c)(ii.1), the fee referred to in section 303.1 has not been paid or the information referred to in section 209.11 has not been provided before the foreign national makes an application for a work permit;

  • (g) the foreign national has worked in Canada for one or more periods totalling four years, unless

    • (i) a period of forty-eight months has elapsed since the day on which the foreign national accumulated four years of work in Canada,

    • (ii) the foreign national intends to perform work that would create or maintain significant social, cultural or economic benefits or opportunities for Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or

    • (iii) the foreign national intends to perform work pursuant to an international agreement between Canada and one or more countries, including an agreement concerning seasonal agricultural workers;

  • (g.1) the foreign national intends to work for an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages; or

  • (h) the foreign national intends to work for an employer who is

    • (i) subject to a determination made under subsection 203(5), if two years have not elapsed since the day on which that determination was made,

    • (ii) ineligible under paragraph 209.95(1)(b), or

    • (iii) in default of any amount payable in respect of an administrative monetary penalty, including if the employer fails to comply with a payment agreement for the payment of that amount.

• Marginal note:Cumulative work periods — students

  (4) A period of work in Canada by a foreign national shall not be included in the calculation of the four-year period referred to in paragraph (3)(g) if the work was performed during a period in which the foreign national was authorized to study on a full-time basis in Canada.

• Marginal note:Genuineness of job offer

  (5) A determination of whether an offer of employment is genuine shall be based on the following factors:

  • (a) whether the offer is made by an employer that is actively engaged in the business in respect of which the offer is made, unless the offer is made for employment as a live-in caregiver;

  • (b) whether the offer is consistent with the reasonable employment needs of the employer;

  • (c) whether the terms of the offer are terms that the employer is reasonably able to fulfil; and

  • (d) the past compliance of the employer, or any person who recruited the foreign national for the employer, with the federal or provincial laws that regulate employment, or the recruiting of employees, in the province in which it is intended that the foreign national work.