Work Permit Exempt Foreign Nationals

You usually need a work permit to work in Canada. In some cases, you can work without a permit depending on the type of work you will do in Canada. Following types of work will exempt you:

Athlete or coach

• You’re a foreign athlete, coach or member of a foreign team competing in Canada.
  Note: If you will work for a Canadian team, you need a work permit

Aviation accident or incident investigator

• You’re an accredited agent or adviser working on an aviation accident or incident investigation being done under the Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.

Business visitor

• You’re coming to Canada to do business activities, but you will not be part of the Canadian labour market.
  Note: “Business people” does not mean the same thing as “business visitor.” Make sure you understand the difference, because “business people” usually need work permits.

Civil aviation inspector

• You check the flight operations or cabin safety of commercial airlines during international flights.

Convention organizer

• You organize or run international meetings or conventions.
  Note: If you provide “hands-on” services at these events, you must have a work permit. These services include providing audio-visual services, doing show decorating, and building, setting up and taking down displays. Find out if you’re eligible for a work permit.

Crew member

• You may be a truck driver, bus driver, or shipping or airline worker. If this describes you, you do not need a work permit if:
  • you’re working on foreign-owned and registered vehicles that are used mainly to transport cargo and passengers internationally, and
  • your work is related to operating vehicles or serving passengers.

Emergency service provider

• • You will help out in an emergency. You will be in Canada to help preserve life or property. Emergencies include natural disasters, such as floods or earthquakes, or industrial accidents that threaten the environment.

Examiner and evaluator

• You’re a professor or academic expert who evaluates or supervises academic projects, research proposals or university theses. You may work for Canadian research groups or schools.

Expert witness or investigator

• You will give evidence before a regulatory body, tribunal or court of law.

Family member of foreign representative

• You do not need a work permit if you meet these three requirements:
  • You’re the spouse or child of a foreign representative.
  • You’re accredited (with a counterfoil in your passport) by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
  • You have a letter of no objection from GAC (normally issued only if there is a reciprocal employment arrangement with your home country). To find out how to get this letter, contact GAC’s Office of Protocol.

Foreign government officer or representative

• You do not need a work permit if you’re:
  • an employee of another government who is working under an exchange agreement that lets officials work in government departments in Canada and your country,
  • a diplomat or official representative of another country, or
  • a diplomat or official representative of the United Nations and its staff.

  Note: Employees of other governments must have a formal letter if they will work here for more than three months. If you’re any other kind of foreign government officer or representative, you need a work permit.

Health care student

• You do not need a work permit if you meet the following conditions:
  • you’re doing clinical clerkships;
  • the main goal of your work is training;
  • you have written approval from the board that regulates your job (note that certain provinces do not need written approval); and
  • your training will last less than four months

  Note: If your training will last more than four months, or if you do not meet the other conditions listed above, you need a work permit.

Judge, referee or similar official

• You’re an official at an international amateur competition who will judge or be an official for an artistic or cultural event, such as:
  • a music and dance festival,
  • an animal show, or
  • an agricultural contest

Military personnel

• You’re a member of an armed force of another country. You have movement orders stating that you’re entering Canada under the terms of the Visiting Forces Act.

News reporter or film and media crew

• You’re:
  • a news reporter or member of a reporter’s crew,
  • a member of a film or media crew who will not enter the Canadian labour market,
  • a journalist who works for a print, broadcast or Internet news service (journal, newspaper, magazine, television show, etc.) and your company is not Canadian,
  • a resident correspondent, or
  • a manager and or member of clerical staff, as long as the event is short term (six months or less).

Producer or staff member working on advertisements

• You do not need a work permit if you’re working on a foreign-financed commercial/advertising shoot for television, magazines or other media and you’re:
  • a film producer, an actor, a director, a technician, or other essential personnel

Performing artist

• You do not need a work permit if:
  • you’re a foreign artist or the artist’s key support staff (people vital to the performance),
  • you will perform in Canada for a limited period of time,
  • you’re not being hired for ongoing employment by the Canadian group that has contracted you, and
  • you’re not involved in making a movie, television or radio broadcast.

  Examples include:

  • a foreign-based band or theatre group and their key crew,
  • street performers (buskers),
  • disc jockeys,
  • members of a foreign or travelling circus,
  • guest artists working within a Canadian performance group for a limited time,
  • World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers (and members of similar groups),
  • people who will perform at a private event, such as a wedding,
  • air show performers,
  • rodeo contestants,
  • artists attending or working at a showcase,
  • film producers (business visitors),
  • film and recording studio users (limited to small groups renting studios who will not enter the labour market, and to business visitors) and
  • people doing guest spots on Canadian television and radio broadcasts (guest speakers), such as news programs.

Public speaker

• You do not need a work permit if you’re a guest speaker, commercial speaker or seminar leader who is speaking at specific events, provided the event is no longer than five days.

Religious leader

• You don’t need a work permit as a religious leader if your duties include
  • assisting your congregations to reach spiritual goals
  • preaching doctrine
  • leading worship, or
  • providing spiritual counselling

  Examples of religious leaders include

  • missionaries, monks, pastoral animators, archbishops, and bishops

  Even if you don’t need a work permit, you may still apply for a work permit as a religious worker. A work permit may allow you to:

  • be eligible for some government services or benefits
  • stay in Canada longer

Short-term highly-skilled worker

• You do not need a work permit if you will come to Canada as a high-skilled worker and
  • your job is under the NOC skill type 0 (managerial) or A (professional)
  • you will only work for
    • up to 15 consecutive days once every six months or
    • up to 30 consecutive days once every year

  Note: If you are eligible, you may need a temporary resident visa or electronic travel authorization to come to Canada.

Short-term researcher

• You do not need a work permit if you will come to Canada as a researcher
  • at a public degree-granting institution or affiliated research institution
  • who will work for 120 or fewer consecutive days
  • who has not worked in Canada under this exemption in the last 12 months

  Note: If you are eligible, you may need a temporary resident visa or electronic travel authorization to come to Canada.

Student working off-campus

• Full-time international students can work off-campus without a work permit:
  • up to 20 hours per week during regular academic sessions, and
  • full-time during scheduled breaks, such as the winter and summer holidays or spring break.

  To qualify, you must:

  • have a valid study permit,
  • be a full-time student,
  • be enrolled at a designated learning institution at the post-secondary level or, in Quebec, a vocational program at the secondary level, and
  • be studying in an academic, vocational or professional training program that leads to a degree, diploma or certificate that is at least six months in duration.

  Note: You must stop working on the day you no longer meet the eligibility requirements listed above (e.g., if you’re no longer a full-time student during an academic session).

Student working on-campus

• If you’re a full-time international student, you do not need a work permit to work on the campus of the university or college where you study.

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