How can I find a job in Canada?
A typical question I receive every day is: “How can I find a job in Canada?” Well, this is a valid question. However, the answer is not that easy. Regardless, I’ll do my best to shed light on this subject and get over it.
- Who may work in Canada?
- Find a job in Canada when you have permission to work.
- Can I find a job in Canada if I do not have permission to work?
- Hiring foreign nationals could be costly and time-consuming for employers.
- Find a job in Canada, but work outside Canada.
- Let us help!
Who may work in Canada?
Before finding a job in Canada, you need to know if you can work in Canada. The following groups of people may work in Canada:
- Canadian citizens: You may work anywhere in Canada and any job. Of course, you may not break the law.
- Permanent residents of Canada: Like Canadian citizens, you have the right to work and live anywhere in Canada. However, you are vulnerable to losing your permanent residence. Therefore, you could lose the right to work.
- Open work-permit holders: Subject to the limitations posted on your work permit, you may work in Canada.
- Study permit holders: You could work in Canada subject to certain conditions. For example, you are a full-time post-secondary student with a valid study permit. Of course, your studies must be at a Designated Learning Institution and lead you to a certification, diploma or degree. Regardless, you could only work up to 20 hours per week. However, you could also work full-time during normal school breaks.
- Temporary residents who may work under the authority of R186: Some examples include selected public speakers, performing artists and athletes.
Find a job in Canada when you have permission to work.
If you belong to any of the groups who may work in Canada, you may find a job in Canada by taking one or all the following actions.
- Networking: Simply put, you know a person who could recommend you to an employer.
- Cold-calling: I personally highly recommend this approach to every job seeker. To find a job in Canada via cold-calling, you literally need to call or visit the employers in person. Of course, you may read my article on this subject for more details.
- Monitor employers’ websites: The recruitment efforts cost employers time and money. Therefore, they publish their jobs on their websites to offset their costs. Consequently, if you know your potential employers, monitor their websites constantly and apply as soon as you spot an ideal opening.
- Hire a recruiter: Finding the talent is not easy for some employers. Therefore, they sometimes ask a recruitment agency to help them with the process. Consequently, if your unique skills are appealing to recruitment agencies, don’t miss the opportunity. Contact them and see if they are willing to add you to their database. Regardless, keep in mind a recruitment agency cannot charge you for job finding. The employer compensates them directly.
- Job-search websites: There are tons of job boards or job search websites in Canada. Of course, this is not an ideal approach to find jobs in Canada. However, I personally had hired some of my employees when they submitted their resume to our company via a job search website. Nonetheless, please read my article on this subject. Luckily, the article includes a long list of popular job boards in Canada.
I have listed the job-finding efforts from the most to the least effective. Needless to say, this way of sorting is based on my personal experience in Canada, both as a worker and an employer. Regardless, remember you need a strong resume when looking for a job in Canada.
Can I find a job in Canada if I do not have permission to work?
Canadian employers hire thousands of foreign workers every year. For example, a total of 405,107 foreign nationals received work permits in 2019. Since a typical work permit is valid for two years, we could assume about 800,000 foreign workers are present in Canada. Of course, the latter is a wild guess. Regardless, it sends a message that there is hope for foreign workers to find jobs in Canada. However, don’t get too excited as many of these workers fall under the following groups:
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) is not open to everyone.
- Some people could work in Canada because they are refugee claimants, protected people, H&C applicants or TRP holders.
- PGWP is a source of work permits for recently graduated international students.
- If you are an inland spousal sponsorship applicant, you could qualify for an open work permit.
- Bridging open work permit is available to certain inside-Canada applicants such as Candian Experience Class and caregivers.
- Some work permits are the result of international treaties such as CUSMA and CETA.
- Of course, you could receive a work permit if you are a job creator.
As you can see, you have even fewer options if you do not fall under any of these programs. However, you could still find a job in Canada. Of course, the job-seeking methods are similar to those who have permission to work. Nonetheless, it would help if you are physically present in Canada.
Hiring foreign nationals could be costly and time-consuming for employers.
While trying to find a job in Canada, consider the hassles a Canadian employer has to go through to hire you. If an employer decides to hire a foreign national, they face unwanted costs. Some examples include,
- The recruitment efforts to convince ESDC they couldn’t find the employee inside Canada
- $1000 LMIA fee or $230 IMP fee
- Covering the travel expenses of the employee, if applicable
- The professional fees associated with hiring an immigration practitioner
Of course, consider the time they need to wait for the issuance of the work permit. Nonetheless, there is always a chance for a refusal. That’s why legitimate Canadian employers are reluctant to hire foreign nationals unless it becomes necessary. Unfortunately, the tediousness of the process opens doors for abuse and scams.
Find a job in Canada, but work outside Canada.
A trend emerged in Canada in 2020: working from home! This is no secret the pandemic restricted the opportunity to work in office settings. Consequently, many corporations who offered white-collar jobs asked their employees to work from home. Of course, most of the employers were skeptical. However, to their surprise, they found out the productivity of their employers didn’t drop. Interestingly enough, they started saving money by reducing their office size. If the employees could work from home, then why should an employer hire employees from Canada only? Here are some of the benefits of hiring people from outside Canada:
- Less regulatory obligations
- Lower salaries
- Keeping the business open all the time
- Reducing costs by not offering extended benefits
- Skipping the hassle of applying for an LMIA or a work permit
Of course, some negative issues could be time zone differences and compromising security protocols. Regardless, I believe we will see many Canadian employers hiring foreign nationals outside Canada. However, these people won’t receive work permits and won’t move to Canada. Therefore, you may find a job in Canada this way, but you will remain in your home country.
Let us help!
So you want to find a job in Canada and want our help. Unfortunately, we cannot help you beyond what I explained in this article. However, if you already have a job offer, we could assist you with the work permit process. Use the following contact form to get in touch with us or book a consultation session with me.
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If you wish to visit or move to Canada, please fill out our free assessment form. We will review it for free, but we will contact you only if we find an opportunity for you. Alternatively, you may book a consultation session. Consultation sessions are not free, but you will receive formal advice from a licenced practitioner.
Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Author – 88 Tips on Immigration to Canada
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