The Temporary Work Permit

The work permit category grants you temporary entry to Canada but is not an immigration visa. It is designed to fill skill shortages on a temporary basis.

Gaining work experience in Canada on a temporary work permit may help you when applying for a skilled worker visa since you will have extra points, but you cannot rely on this.

In order to apply for a work permit you must:

• Get a job offer from a Canadian employer
• Usually you will need a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) from HRSDC. This confirms, amongst other things, that the position has been advertised and there were no suitable Canadian candidates. Some occupations are exempt from the need for an LMO. The link above goes into this.
• If the above is satisfied you can then apply for the temporary work permit.

You can find out more about the Temporary worker permit on the CIC web site.