A closed work permit ties you to one Canadian employer, one role, and usually one province, for a fixed period. Whether you need a Labour Market Impact Assessment behind that job offer or qualify for an exemption changes everything about how you apply. This page helps you find out which path applies before you file anything.
A closed work permit, also called an employer-specific work permit, allows you to work in Canada for one named employer, in one role, at one location, until the expiry date on the permit itself. It’s one of two broad categories of work permit available in Canada, the other being an open permit with no employer tie at all, and which one actually applies to you depends entirely on the job offer and program behind it. Change any of the three details tied to a closed permit and you generally need a new application, not an update to the existing one.
Here’s a distinction that trips up a lot of applicants. A work permit and a work visa are not the same document. The work permit gives you authorization to work in Canada. A visa, or an eTA for visa-exempt travellers, is a separate entry document some applicants also need to get into the country. Canada doesn’t issue a separate “work visa,” so if that’s the phrase you’ve been searching, the document you actually need is the work permit.
Your permit itself carries three sections worth understanding before you rely on it. Additional Information lists your employer, location, and occupation. Conditions lists the specific requirements you need to meet. Remarks may carry further clarifications. Everything printed there is what you’re legally bound to, not just the job offer that got you the permit.
Some situations don’t require a work permit at all. If one applies to you, the rest of this page may not be relevant to your circumstances.
One more group worth naming separately. If you’ve just finished a program in Canada and already have a job offer, you might assume your employer needs to go through the LMIA process for you. In most cases, a Post-Graduation Work Permit is the simpler route instead, since it doesn’t tie you to that employer or involve an LMIA at all.
Pathway | Who it’s for | LMIA required | Next step |
LMIA-based work permit | A job offer that requires a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment | Yes | Full details on our dedicated page |
Francophone Mobility | French-speaking workers with a job offer outside Quebec | No | Full details on our dedicated page |
Intra-company transfer | Employees transferring within a qualifying multinational company | No | Covered below |
International agreements | Professionals covered under trade agreements such as CUSMA | No | Covered below |
Significant benefit | Work bringing notable social, cultural, or economic benefit to Canada | No | Covered below |
Two of these pathways already have their own full page on our site. The rest are covered below.
Most closed work permits require your employer to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Employment and Social Development Canada, confirming there’s a genuine need to hire a foreign worker and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was available for the role. You’ll also need a signed employment contract that matches the terms of the job offer exactly, including salary, duties, and hours.
Whether your job offer actually needs this step, and what your employer needs to do before you can apply, depends on the occupation and wage involved, and that’s exactly what our LMIA page walks through in full.
If you speak French and have a job offer from an employer outside Quebec, you may skip the LMIA step entirely under Francophone Mobility, provided your French ability and occupation meet the current requirements.
The exact language threshold, which occupations qualify, and what your employer needs to submit are worth checking properly on our Francophone Mobility page rather than assuming this outline covers your specific situation.
Executives, managers, and specialized knowledge employees can transfer to a Canadian branch of their employer without an LMIA, provided the company relationship and the role both meet the program’s requirements.
Professionals covered under trade agreements such as CUSMA can work in Canada in specific occupations without an LMIA, reflecting reciprocal arrangements between Canada and partner countries.
Work bringing notable social, cultural, or economic benefit to Canada can qualify for an LMIA exemption, covering artists, researchers, and other specialized professionals.
These conditions catch out well-intentioned applicants more often than outright fraud does, which is exactly why checking them before applying matters.
| Category | Government fee |
|---|---|
| LMIA processing fee | $1,000 CAD, paid by the employer, non-refundable regardless of outcome |
| Work permit processing fee | $155 CAD, paid by the worker |
| Biometrics, if required | $85 CAD |
Only the LMIA-based pathway carries the $1,000 employer fee. Francophone Mobility and the other exempt pathways skip that cost entirely, part of why they tend to move faster for both sides.
A closed work permit ties you to one employer, and that arrangement can leave a worker feeling stuck if the job itself turns unsafe or abusive. If you’re experiencing abuse, or you’re at risk of it, in relation to your current job, you can leave that employer and apply for an open work permit instead, without losing your legal status in Canada while you do.
This is one of the few situations where someone tied to a closed permit can move toward an open one from inside the country, rather than starting an entirely new application from outside Canada.
What You Need
Canadian work experience gained on a closed work permit, generally at least 12 months and 1,560 hours, strengthens your eligibility for Express Entry streams like the Canadian Experience Class, and the same experience can support a provincial nomination as your file develops.
An employer came to Brightlight after an LMIA application was refused with no clear explanation why. A review of the file showed the company had laid off two employees eight months before applying, which disqualified the position entirely, something neither the employer nor the worker had been told mattered.
Brightlight reviewed the worker’s qualifications and identified that the role also fit an intra-company transfer, since the worker was moving from an affiliated office abroad. The application was refiled under that exemption, with no LMIA and no further delay.
If you’re unsure whether your own program or situation qualifies, that uncertainty is worth resolving before your window closes, not after.
No immigration consultant can guarantee a closed work permit will be approved. What Brightlight guarantees is an accurate identification of whether your situation needs an LMIA or qualifies for an exemption, and careful preparation so IRCC has no reason to ask questions.
What matters
Brightlight
Unregulated agent
DIY
✓
✗
—
✓
Variable
Risk
✓
Variable
Risk
✓
Unlikely
—
Ready to work with a licensed RCIC who reviews your file personally?
When you bring a closed work permit file to Brightlight, it is reviewed by the founders, not handed to a junior assistant.
Join 10,000+ clients who trusted Brightlight with their Canadian immigration journey.
Ready to work with a licensed RCIC who reviews your file personally?
A closed work permit authorizes you to work in Canada for a specific employer, role, and location. Canada doesn't issue a separate document called a work visa. Some applicants also need a visa or eTA to enter the country, but that's a separate entry document issued alongside your work permit, not a substitute for it.
No. Most closed work permits require a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment, but exemptions exist, including Francophone Mobility, intra-company transfers, and trade agreements like CUSMA. Whether you need one depends on your occupation, your employer's location, and which program your job offer falls under.
Not without a new work permit application. A closed permit is tied to the specific employer, role, and location named on the permit itself. If you take a job with a different employer, or even change roles significantly with the same one, you generally need to apply for a new permit before you can legally start.
The worker pays a $155 CAD work permit processing fee, plus $85 CAD if biometrics are required. If your job offer needs an LMIA, your employer separately pays a $1,000 CAD processing fee, which isn't refunded even if the LMIA is refused. Exempt pathways like Francophone Mobility skip that employer fee entirely.
Generally, no. Your permit is usually tied to the province where your employer's job offer is located, and working somewhere else, even for the same employer, typically requires a new permit, and often a new LMIA. If your job involves relocating between provinces, address this before you apply, not after you've started.
Have a question not answered here? Speak directly with our licensed RCIC.
Visit Our Office
Local Closed Work Permit Assessment Consultants in Canada
Book an in-person or virtual consultation. We're based in Surrey and serve graduates across British Columbia and worldwide.
