A tourist visa is designed for individuals intending to visit Canada for tourism purposes, allowing them to explore different provinces but not permitting job searching or employment.

Engaging in employment in Canada on a Canadian tourist visa is considered illegal. In contrast, a work visa is required for obtaining a job offer legally and being employed by a Canadian employer. There are no shortcuts to working in Canada; applicants must adhere to immigration rules and pursue an ethical path to employment. As outlined in the visitor visa conditions on the Canadian Immigration website, working in Canada on a visitor visa may result in deportation and a ban on re-entry.

Furthermore, Canadian employers are obligated to provide job opportunities only to candidates with a valid work permit and Social Insurance Number (SIN). It is against the law for any Canadian employer to hire individuals with a Canadian visitor visa, as doing so may lead to significant legal consequences for the employers."

If a candidate has a travel visa, the only way to change it is to re-apply for the Canadian visa with a work permit. If the candidate’s profile meets the eligibility requirements of employment and he or she possesses all valid documents, the immigration department may approve his or her profile for a work visa.

Foreign nationals who are in Canada as visitors and who receive a valid job offer will continue to be able to apply for and receive a work permit without having to leave the country. Visitors applying under this public policy who held a work permit within the last 12 months will also continue to be able to request interim work authorization to begin working for their new employer more quickly.

This temporary public policy was only extended in February 2023 for a 2-year period until February 28, 2025. Leaving this temporary policy in place makes visitors an option for employers in Canada, as many are facing significant labour shortages during this period of economic expansion.

Prior to this temporary policy change, those applying to work in Canada would typically need to apply for their initial work permit before they came to Canada. If they were already in Canada with visitor status when they were approved for a work permit, they would need to leave Canada to be issued their work permit. With this policy in place, leaving Canada isn’t necessary.

To be eligible to apply, an applicant looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must:

• Have valid status in Canada as a visitor on the day they apply.

• Have a job offer that is supported by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment.

• Submit an application for an employer-specific work permit no later than February 28, 2025.

• Meet all other standard admissibility criteria.

Applicants who currently have visitor status but who have held a valid work permit in the past 12 months can follow special instructions to get interim work authorization to start working for their new employer before their work permit application is finalized.

This is the right information; please don’t fall prey to scammers who will tell you, “Come to Canada. It’s very easy to change from a visitor visa to a work permit." It is not easy, and it is not feasible.