Short Term Moves

You may decide you want to live in Canada temporarily or for a short term, rather than permanently. Work permits for up to 12 months may be applied for, but in most cases you will need to have a secured offer of work from an employer in Canada to obtain a work permit. Work permits should be studied carefully as they often name an employer and if they do, you are only legally allowed to work for that employer for the duration of your stay, unless you apply to change your named employer once here in Canada. In some cases a work permit may be renewed or an extension applied for if you do want to stay longer.

Students

If you are a student you may decide to move to Canada to study for a year at a University or College. There are specific study visas that can be applied for to allow this. If you intend working whilst in Canada to support yourself during your studies, you may also have to apply for a separate work visa if you intend to find a job off campus. Click here for a press release about 2008 changes making post-study work permits available to graduates.

The Live-in Caregiver Program

There is a shortage of workers available to provide care in a live-in capacity within Canada. For this reason, the government offers a specific live-in caregiver program which allows entry to Canada temporarily to work for and live with a family or employer named on your work permit. This is the only short term program available enabling you to come to live and work in Canada, which can lead to an open work visa and permanent residency. There is still a criteria to be met but if you don’t qualify for permanent residency based on your skilled occupation / financial standing, this can be an excellent program to get a feel for life in Canada with a view to immigrating permanently to Canada. It also takes away the stress of having to find somewhere to live and a job to find when you get here.

For more information visit www.cic.gc.ca