Foreign workers are individuals who enter Canada to work on a temporary basis.

In general, foreign workers who wish to enter Canada’s labour market must be issued a temporary work permit and may also be required to obtain other types of permits and/or authorizations.

Exceptionally, some foreign workers are exempted from obtaining a temporary work permit. Some examples are business visitors, guest speakers, after-sales service personnel, on-campus employees.

Find out about the different types of work permits and the requirements to apply for a work permit.