Immigrating to Canada permanently or simply coming to work or study for a few years often leaves foreign nationals scratching their heads as to which Canada visa option is best for them – but sorting through that myriad of choices for a Canadian visa doesn’t have to be hard.

Here’s a quick-and-easy guide to temporary Canada visa options.

The first thing a foreign national should check is whether they even need a visa to come to Canada. There are many countries that are visa-exempt and whose citizens only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) when they come to Canada. American citizens don’t even need that, provided they have an American passport.

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But a foreign national eyeing Canada for a short-term opportunity, such as studying in a Canadian college or university, working for a short period of time, or simply visiting the country on holidays or with the intention of learning more about for possible future immigration usually does need a visa.

Temporary visas allow a foreign national to come to Canada for a fixed period of time. Afterwards, he or she has to leave the country.

CANADA OFFERS FOUR TYPES OF TEMPORARY PERMITS

Temporary visas come in four types based on the applicant’s reasons for coming to Canada:

WORK VISAS

A work visa allows the foreign national to live and work in the country for a fixed period of time under specific conditions. The precise conditions are determined by the conditions of that employment and how the applicant lands that job.

There are three main types of work visa:

• open;
• employer-specific, and;
• post-graduate.

With an Open Work Permit, a foreign national can work anywhere in Canada for any employer without that business having to go through a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Employer-specific work permits, on the other hand, only allow foreign nationals to work for specific employers who have tried, through the LMIA process, to find Canadians to do those jobs. When the employer is unable to find a suitable candidate in Canada, he or she can hire a foreign national who then has to get an employer-specific visa.

The last type of work permit is for international students who have studied at a Canadian college or university, graduated, and now want to continue to live and work in Canada. The Post-Graduate Work Program permit (PGWP) allows them to do that and the length of time of the permit depends on the length of the study program they completed.

PGWP A STEPPING STONE TO PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Through agreements with many other countries, Canada offers the IEC program and issues work permits to foreign nationals of those countries who want to come here:

• for a working holiday which allows them to work for many employers without having a job offer before they come to Canada;
• as young professionals planning to come to Canada for a job that boosts their professional development with the same employers back in their home country, or;
• for an international co-op internship, typically to allow them to graduate from a study program at a Canadian college or university which requires they complete a work term in Canada.

STUDY VISAS

Foreign nationals who want to study at a Canadian college or university for more than six months need to get a Study Permit once they have been accepted into that program. 

Although Immigration Minister Sean Fraser has hinted at a new pathway to permanent residency for international students which may change the rules with regards to study permits soon, international students currently still need to indicate that they intend to leave Canada once their study permit expires.  International students also need to show they have enough funds to support themselves in Canada.

In Quebec, international students also need to get permission from the province before getting a study permit. That permission is obtained by applying for a Quebec Certificate of Selection (CSQ) once the student has been accepted into his or her study program.

Among international students coming to Canada, roughly a third every year plan on seeking permanent residence once they graduate. That means these students first get a study permit to complete their studies and then apply for a PGWP if they get a job offer upon graduation. That allows them to get more Canadian work experience and strengthens their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for their application for permanent residency through Express Entry.

VISITOR VISAS

Those simply planning to visit Canada can apply for one of three visitor visas:

• single entry;
• multiple-entry, or;
• super visa.

The Super Visa is issued to parents or grandparents of either permanent residents or Canadian citizens and is meant to be a two-year visa, much longer than the usual six months, with extensions that can allow these visa holders to stay in the country for up to a decade.

A single-entry visa is issued for a stay of up to six months and only allows the holder to come to Canada once. Once it expires, the visa holder has to return home. If the visa holder wants to leave the country and return during the length of time of the initial visa, he or she has to apply for a whole new visa.

The multiple-entry visa gives the foreign national more flexibility. Although it too is only valid for six months, the visa holder can come and go from Canada during the period specified by the visa. During the past eight years, immigration officials in Canada have automatically considered anyone who applies for a single-entry visa for a multiple-entry one to facilitate their ability to make short trips outside the country during their stay.

PERMANENT RESIDENCE 

All of the above temporary visa options can be considered a stepping stone to a Canada permanent residency visa. Here are all the options for becoming a permanent resident of Canada.