Work Permit for Television and Film Production Workers
Oliver is a professional sound engineer who works for a local TV station in Liverpool, UK. Oliver, a British citizen, is highly skilled and educated in the field of sound engineering. He is an active member of the Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) in the United Kingdom. A TV station in Fredericton, New Brunswick has recently offered him a position in their company. He will be involved in the production of a TV series that will be aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The Canadian TV station hopes to get a work permit for Oliver without going through the LMIA process.
The government of Canada decided to ease up the process of work permit for employees of TV and film production industry. This option was not available before February 17, 2016. If applicable to a person, they may apply for a work permit without an LMIA [note to practitioners: the exemption code is C14 under R205(a)].
If you intend to apply under this program, you need to consider the following points:
- This exemption code is limited to the television and film industry
- The position or project needs to create significant benefits to Canadians or permanent residents of Canada
- These kinds of jobs are usually unionized in Canada. A letter from the relevant Union needs to support the hiring of the foreign national
- The employer needs to submit a detailed reference letter in support of the position and the foreign national
- The position must be a high-wage job. In other words, the salary offered to the foreign national must be equal or higher than the median salary of the province for the same position
The preceding list is neither exclusive nor conclusive. If you are not eligible to apply under this code, you could potentially apply under any of the following options:
- Work Permit for Performing Artists – Reciprocity Code C23
- Work without work permit for performing artists under subsection 186(g) of IRPR
- Work Permit under Significant Benefits to Canada – Code C10
- Applying for LMIA under high-wage positions
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Al Parsai, MA, DTM, RCIC
Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant
Ashton College Instructor – Immigration Consulting
Disclaimer:
This article provides information of a general nature only. It may no longer be current. It does not give legal advice nor should you rely on it as legal advice. If you have specific legal questions, you should consult a lawyer. If you are looking for immigration advice, book an appointment. All the characters in the articles are fictional, unless otherwise clearly stated. Any resemblance in names, dates, and places (whether individuals, organizations, regions, or countries) is coincidental.
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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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