How to change your Canadian tourist visa to a work visa

If you are in Canada on a tourist visa and want to start working, you can apply to change your visa type to a work visa.

In some cases, after coming to Canada as, for example, a guest, a person finds a job and decides to stay in the country. In this case, it is necessary to change the tourist visa, or more correctly "guest" visa, into a work visa. Legally, this procedure is called changing immigration status to "worker".

To change your immigration status to a worker, you must obtain a work permit to work in Canada (work permit).

Generally, you need to get a work permit before you come to Canada. Only in some special circumstances, listed below, can you get a work permit while in Canada.

While in Canada, those who are eligible to apply for a work permit areexclusively:

holders of valid permits to study or work in Canada;
spouses of holders of valid permits to study or work in Canada;
successful graduates of Canadian universities, colleges, colleges of Quebec (CÉGEP) or public vocational schools (or private institutions authorized by provincial law to grant degrees) who wish to work for a maximum of 1 or 2 years in a field related to the education obtained. The maximum duration of the permit will depend on the duration and location of the training and the location of the employer. Graduates must apply for a work permit within 90 days of receiving their graduation grades. The study permit must be valid at the time of application for the work permit.
persons currently working in Canada who are not business visitors and who were previously permitted to work without obtaining a work permit;
Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) holders with a validity period of at least 6 months and their family members. This is a NOT visitor visa (temporary resident status);
Refugee claimants and those subject to forcible deportation from Canada;
Applicants for permanent residence in Canada and their family members who are eligible for permanent resident (PR) status in one of the following classes: guardian, spouse or partner, protected persons and humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) applicants;
Persons whose work permits have been approved by a visa centre outside of Canada, but whose permit was not issued at the point of entry;
traders and investors, specialists and professionals transferring internally under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

But what should you do if you can't identify yourself with any of the items on the list? We will tell you about it at the end of the article.

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