Am I Eligible to Work in Canada?
Pick your current immigration status. Get an instant summary of what you can apply to, what to skip, and the exact one-line to put at the top of your Canadian resume so recruiters don't guess.
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Free newcomer resume Canadianizer strips photo, DOB and street address, keeps every metric, and adds your new work-status line.
Am I eligible to work in Canada? A newcomer's decision tree
- Your right to work in Canada is set by your status: citizen, PR, work permit, or study permit.
- Open work permits (PGWP, spouse OWP, bridging OWP) let you apply to virtually any employer.
- Closed work permits tie you to one employer — a new job needs a new LMIA or an open-permit path.
- Visitors and most study-permit holders cannot work off-campus without specific authorisation.
- Put your status in one line at the top of your Canadian resume so recruiters don't guess.
What each status actually means for job hunting
- Canadian citizens and permanent residents — no work restrictions. Federal jobs and some regulated professions still require citizenship or PR specifically.
- PGWP (Post-Graduation Work Permit) — an open permit for international graduates. Any employer, any role, up to the permit's expiry date. See our PGWP to PR guide.
- Spouse Open Work Permit — open permit tied to your partner's permit or PR application. Any employer, but expires with your partner's status.
- Closed work permit (LMIA-based) — one employer only. Switching jobs requires a new LMIA (usually) or an open-permit pathway.
- Study permit — usually allows up to 24 hours/week off-campus during term and full-time during scheduled breaks, but check the conditions printed on your permit.
- Visitor visa / eTA — no right to work. Job hunting is fine; taking pay is not.
One resume line that answers the recruiter's first question
Recruiters filter for work status before skills. Put a single italic line under your name and email: "Post-Graduation Work Permit, valid until 15 June 2028 — open work permit, no employer sponsorship required." Adjust the wording for your status. This one line saves 60% of newcomer applications from being filtered out of the pile.
Frequently asked questions
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