A Work Permit is required for Foreign Nationals who accept an academic appointment with the University.  Normally, Foreign Nationals who will be entering Canada as temporary workers are required to have offers of employment confirmed by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) through a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) prior to applying for a work permit.

Steps for Unit

1) Following the selection process, the Unit completes and submits the Recommendation for Academic Appointment to the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

Steps for the Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic)

2) The Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) approves the appointment and extends an offer of employment to the candidate.

All offers of employment to Foreign Nationals’ are subject to the Foreign National obtaining the necessary documentation to work in Canada and at the University, which will be indicated in the offer of employment.

3) The Office of the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) copies the Office of Faculty Relations on the appointment letter to the Foreign National.

Steps for the Office of Faculty Relations

4) LMIA applications are subject to a processing fee. This fee is the responsibility of the Unit hiring the Foreign National. The Office of Faculty Relations forwards the Labour Market Impact Assessment - Processing Payment Fee form to the Unit for completion.

5) The Office of Faculty Relations completes the LMIA application and submits the application, the Foreign Academic Recruitment Summary form and any other required documentation to ESDC.  Prior to submission the Foreign Academic Recruitment Summary form is submitted to the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) for approval.

6) On receipt of the approved LMIA, the Office of Faculty Relations sends the approved LMIA to the Foreign National.

Steps for a Foreign National residing outside of Canada

7) Upon receipt of the approved LMIA the Foreign National must apply for a Work Permit at the visa office responsible for the country or region where s/he lives. Additional documents (i.e., Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), medical examination, police certificate, etc) may also be required.  Requirements for additional documents can be obtained by contacting the visa office.

8) If a work permit is approved, the Canadian visa office will issue a letter which must be presented to an immigration official at the Canadian port of entry. The actual Work Permit is issued at the port of entry. A TRV is also required if the Foreign National is from a country requiring a visa to visit Canada

9) There is a processing fee for a work permit. This fee is payable upon application and is the responsibility of the Foreign National. If the Foreign National is accompanied by dependents and/or from a country requiring a temporary resident visa, additional fees will apply. Information on fees can be found by visiting the Citizenship and Immigration website.

Steps for a Foreign National residing inside Canada

10) Upon receipt of the approved LMIA the Foreign National must apply for a Work Permit. Information on required documentation and the application process to apply within Canada can be found by contacting Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

11) If the Foreign National holds a work permit which has not expired, s/he must complete and submit the appropriate CIC application to change conditions or extend stay in Canada as a worker and submit where directed.  Information on required documentation and the application process to apply within Canada can be found by contacting the CIC.