A work permit for dependent children of high-skilled workers
Important Note: This option is no longer available.
Daniela is a Venezuelan citizen who lives in Canada as a foreign worker. She holds a valid work permit and works as a store manager in Halifax. Moreover, Daniela’s seventeen-year-old daughter lives with her in Canada as a high-school student. She wonders if her daughter could also work in Canada. Of course, Daniela, like many others, has heard of the new public policy that issues work permits to the dependent children of highly skilled workers.
Table of contents
Who is a high-skilled worker in Canada?
Before discussing the work permit for dependent children, let’s discuss who is a high-skilled worker. Canada classifies jobs into different categories under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. The current categories based on NOC 2021 include the following:
| TEER | Occupation types |
| 0 | Management occupations |
| 1 | Occupations that usually require a university degree |
| 2 | Occupations that usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of 2 or more years, or supervisory occupations |
| 3 | Occupations that usually require a college diploma, apprenticeship training of fewer than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training |
| 4 | Occupations that usually require a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training |
| 5 | Occupations that usually need short-term work demonstration and no formal education |
IRCC considers TEER levels 0, 1, 2, and 3 to be high-skilled jobs. However, the old NOC system considered Type 0 and Level A and B jobs to be high-skilled.
Who is a dependent child for a work permit or other immigration-related matters?
A typical dependent child is a single child under 22 years old. Of course, they must be the biological or adopted children of the primary work permit holder. Sometimes older children could also be dependent. However, they must show significant financial dependency on their parents because of mental or physical conditions. Moreover, their dependence must begin before age 22 and continue until the time of application. I have another article that explores this matter in detail.
Who qualifies for the dependent child work permit?
The eligibility for this program includes the following criteria. Of course, these could change in the future.
- You are the dependent child of a high-skilled work permit holder.
- The primary work permit holder, or rather your parent, must
- Hold a work permit that is valid for at least six months.
- Work as a high-skilled worker.
- Reside in Canada or intend to reside in Canada.
- You are admissible to Canada.
IRCC will issue an open work permit under IMP C46, which has replaced the old IMP C41. Moreover, the new policy does not mention age restrictions for children. However, in another article, I discuss the minimum working age in Canada.
Check Your Eligibility Instantly
Knowing your options is the first step toward your move. We have designed a self-assessment tool to simplify the complex International Mobility Program. You simply answer a few questions about your background and job offer. The AI then determines if you meet the criteria for an LMIA-Exempt Permit.
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If you seek a work permit for your dependent child, please fill out the following form and express your intention. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session with me. To explore your other options, you may fill out our assessment form.
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Al Parsai, LLM, MA, RCIC-IRB
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Adjunct Professor, Queen’s University Faculty of Law
Instructor, Ashton College, Immigration Consulting Program
Author of 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada and Inadmissibility to Canada for Human Rights Violations
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