how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
Jun 20th 2020, 10:52 am
#1
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how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
I have got a job as an English Language Assistant in Quebec through the British Council, probably starting in November. I'm not entirely sure what kind of work permit I will need for this, but the contract will have a fixed start and end date (less than one year), and I presume the work permit will be specific to that employer.
Sorry that I can't be more specific about the work permit - the British Council will be giving me more information in due course, but right now I can't find anything about it and I need to know in the next week as the lease on the house I live in is ending and I need to decide what I'm going to do next depending on how long it's going to be until I can leave for Canada.
So my question is, does anybody know what kind of work permit I would be likely to get for this type of job, and how far in advance of the start date I'll be able to enter Canada? Or is there a general rule for work permits as to how far in advance you can enter?
Sorry that I can't be more specific about the work permit - the British Council will be giving me more information in due course, but right now I can't find anything about it and I need to know in the next week as the lease on the house I live in is ending and I need to decide what I'm going to do next depending on how long it's going to be until I can leave for Canada.
So my question is, does anybody know what kind of work permit I would be likely to get for this type of job, and how far in advance of the start date I'll be able to enter Canada? Or is there a general rule for work permits as to how far in advance you can enter?
Jun 21st 2020, 5:38 pm
#2
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Re: how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
I have got a job as an English Language Assistant in Quebec through the British Council, probably starting in November. I'm not entirely sure what kind of work permit I will need for this, but the contract will have a fixed start and end date (less than one year), and I presume the work permit will be specific to that employer.
Sorry that I can't be more specific about the work permit - the British Council will be giving me more information in due course, but right now I can't find anything about it and I need to know in the next week as the lease on the house I live in is ending and I need to decide what I'm going to do next depending on how long it's going to be until I can leave for Canada.
So my question is, does anybody know what kind of work permit I would be likely to get for this type of job, and how far in advance of the start date I'll be able to enter Canada? Or is there a general rule for work permits as to how far in advance you can enter?
Sorry that I can't be more specific about the work permit - the British Council will be giving me more information in due course, but right now I can't find anything about it and I need to know in the next week as the lease on the house I live in is ending and I need to decide what I'm going to do next depending on how long it's going to be until I can leave for Canada.
So my question is, does anybody know what kind of work permit I would be likely to get for this type of job, and how far in advance of the start date I'll be able to enter Canada? Or is there a general rule for work permits as to how far in advance you can enter?
You can usually enter whenever you like, but bear in mind your work permit will start from that date. So if you want to enter a long time in advance, you may be better off entering as a visitor and not 'activating' your work permit, otherwise you'll waste time on it. I think November will be pushing it if you need a LMIA tbh.
As for the kind of work permit, the British Council will need to advise you on that, it'll depend on the details of the job such as hours, wages, and what it's classed as.
Best of luck with the move.
Last edited by christmasoompa; Jun 21st 2020 at 5:40 pm.
Jun 21st 2020, 11:29 pm
#3
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 9,708
Re: how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
HI
1. If the OP attempts to enter too early, s/he might find that s/he is turned back around by CBSA, in that it is not necessary to be in Canada this early.
Hi, and welcome to BE.
You can usually enter whenever you like, but bear in mind your work permit will start from that date. So if you want to enter a long time in advance, you may be better off entering as a visitor and not 'activating' your work permit, otherwise you'll waste time on it. I think November will be pushing it if you need a LMIA tbh.
As for the kind of work permit, the British Council will need to advise you on that, it'll depend on the details of the job such as hours, wages, and what it's classed as.
Best of luck with the move.
You can usually enter whenever you like, but bear in mind your work permit will start from that date. So if you want to enter a long time in advance, you may be better off entering as a visitor and not 'activating' your work permit, otherwise you'll waste time on it. I think November will be pushing it if you need a LMIA tbh.
As for the kind of work permit, the British Council will need to advise you on that, it'll depend on the details of the job such as hours, wages, and what it's classed as.
Best of luck with the move.
Jul 6th 2020, 11:24 pm
#4
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Re: how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
Thank you both for your replies!
I have now found out from the British Council that the work permit required is LMIA-exempt so that shouldn't be a problem, but thank you for letting me know about the risk of activating the permit too early, I hadn't thought of that. I'd only be planning to enter 3-4 weeks max in advance though so I was hoping that might be ok.
This brings me to another point though which I hadn't thought of when I asked my initial question - I would like to stay in Canada after my job finishes and travel for a couple of months. If this would take me over the maximum length of the work permit, is it possible to essentially do a visa run to the US and re-enter Canada as a tourist for a couple of months? Or potentially not have to leave Canada and still be able to change my status to a tourist visa (waiver)?
I thought I had read that a change of status from within Canada was permitted in other circumstances, so not sure if it would be permitted to change from worker to tourist. If I had to re-enter Canada, I would be able to show them that I have a degree programme to go back to in the UK as well as all my friends and family, and ample funds to support myself while I stayed in Canada as a tourist, so I would've thought that would be ok to prove intent to leave (and could book a return flight as well), but not sure how strict they are about that kind of thing.
I have now found out from the British Council that the work permit required is LMIA-exempt so that shouldn't be a problem, but thank you for letting me know about the risk of activating the permit too early, I hadn't thought of that. I'd only be planning to enter 3-4 weeks max in advance though so I was hoping that might be ok.
This brings me to another point though which I hadn't thought of when I asked my initial question - I would like to stay in Canada after my job finishes and travel for a couple of months. If this would take me over the maximum length of the work permit, is it possible to essentially do a visa run to the US and re-enter Canada as a tourist for a couple of months? Or potentially not have to leave Canada and still be able to change my status to a tourist visa (waiver)?
I thought I had read that a change of status from within Canada was permitted in other circumstances, so not sure if it would be permitted to change from worker to tourist. If I had to re-enter Canada, I would be able to show them that I have a degree programme to go back to in the UK as well as all my friends and family, and ample funds to support myself while I stayed in Canada as a tourist, so I would've thought that would be ok to prove intent to leave (and could book a return flight as well), but not sure how strict they are about that kind of thing.
Jul 7th 2020, 1:44 am
#5
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Re: how far in advance of work permit start date can you enter canada?
Thank you both for your replies!
I have now found out from the British Council that the work permit required is LMIA-exempt so that shouldn't be a problem, but thank you for letting me know about the risk of activating the permit too early, I hadn't thought of that. I'd only be planning to enter 3-4 weeks max in advance though so I was hoping that might be ok.
This brings me to another point though which I hadn't thought of when I asked my initial question - I would like to stay in Canada after my job finishes and travel for a couple of months. If this would take me over the maximum length of the work permit, is it possible to essentially do a visa run to the US and re-enter Canada as a tourist for a couple of months? Or potentially not have to leave Canada and still be able to change my status to a tourist visa (waiver)?
I thought I had read that a change of status from within Canada was permitted in other circumstances, so not sure if it would be permitted to change from worker to tourist. If I had to re-enter Canada, I would be able to show them that I have a degree programme to go back to in the UK as well as all my friends and family, and ample funds to support myself while I stayed in Canada as a tourist, so I would've thought that would be ok to prove intent to leave (and could book a return flight as well), but not sure how strict they are about that kind of thing.
I have now found out from the British Council that the work permit required is LMIA-exempt so that shouldn't be a problem, but thank you for letting me know about the risk of activating the permit too early, I hadn't thought of that. I'd only be planning to enter 3-4 weeks max in advance though so I was hoping that might be ok.
This brings me to another point though which I hadn't thought of when I asked my initial question - I would like to stay in Canada after my job finishes and travel for a couple of months. If this would take me over the maximum length of the work permit, is it possible to essentially do a visa run to the US and re-enter Canada as a tourist for a couple of months? Or potentially not have to leave Canada and still be able to change my status to a tourist visa (waiver)?
I thought I had read that a change of status from within Canada was permitted in other circumstances, so not sure if it would be permitted to change from worker to tourist. If I had to re-enter Canada, I would be able to show them that I have a degree programme to go back to in the UK as well as all my friends and family, and ample funds to support myself while I stayed in Canada as a tourist, so I would've thought that would be ok to prove intent to leave (and could book a return flight as well), but not sure how strict they are about that kind of thing.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration...igibility.html
