Post-doctoral fellows awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – [R205(c)(ii) – C44]– Canadian interest – International Mobility Program
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
In these instructions, “officer” refers to employees of both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with
- Employer-specific work permits — General processing — International Mobility Program
- Conditions and validity period on work permits
- Public list of Employers who have been non-compliant
The Minister has designated the work performed by foreign nationals who have or will be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) as necessary for public policy reasons related to the competitiveness of Canada’s academic institutions, or economy, under subparagraph 205(c)(ii) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).
On this page
- Eligibility
- Documentary evidence
- Global Case Management System (GCMS) fields to review in the offer of employment
- Work permit issuance in GCMS
The employment of the PhD holder is work designed to obtain the highest expertise possible in a particular discipline.
Eligibility
To be eligible under the administrative code C44, a foreign national must
- have completed, or shortly be completing, their doctorate
- be appointed to a time-limited position in a field related to that in which they earned, or are earning, their PhD
- be receiving a stipend or salary to compensate for periods of teaching, advanced study or research
- be chosen on the basis of academic excellence
Post-doctoral fellows can either be the direct recipients of an award or be offered a time-limited position to undertake research on behalf of or as part of a team of researchers. Universities vary in their methods and criteria used in assessing candidates and offering post-doctoral fellowships.
Documentary evidence
The following documents should be submitted with the work permit application:
- either
- an offer of employment number generated by the Employer Portal when the Canadian institution submits the offer, or
- the Offer of Employment to a Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) form [IMM 5802] if authorized by the Client Experience Branch or Immigration Program Guidance Branch to submit the form (see Alternate submission [IMM 5802] for details)
- proof of payment of the employer compliance fee
- copy of their PhD or proof that it will be issued shortly
Global Case Management System (GCMS) fields to review in the offer of employment
| Field | Considerations |
|---|---|
| LMIA Exemption Code |
C44 – the employer should have selected this code Ensure that the exemption code matches the description in ‘Requirements Exemptions met’ |
| Requirements Exemptions Met |
Information in this field should outline when and where the foreign national received or will receive their PhD and how the position is in the field of study of the PhD applicant. Please note that the information regarding how the employer and applicant meet the LMIA-exemption category requirements may be in an attachment to the offer. |
| NOC |
For post-doctoral fellows who are employed by a Canadian university or educational institution, the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code should be 41200 – University professors and lecturers. For post-doctoral fellows who are employed by a Canadian entity that is not an educational institution, their field of specialization should be used. For example, a geologist with a doctorate may work as a geologist and not as a post-doctoral fellow, in which case the NOC code would be 21102 – Geoscientist and oceanographers. |
| Duties |
These are the activities that the foreign national will be performing. Do they align with the occupation and what is described in the National Occupational Classification? |
| Job Requirements |
Are there specific requirements that align with the exemption? For example, they must hold a PhD and must have studied in the field of the occupation. |
| Minimum Education Requirements |
A PhD is required or an advanced level of education that a PhD will soon be obtained. |
Work permit issuance in GCMS
Under the Application screen, officers should enter the following information in the specified fields:
| Field | Selection or input |
|---|---|
| Case type |
52 – Employer-specific LMIA-exempt applications *Use the proper Case type – for the application |
| Province of destination |
The province of destination entered by the applicant should match the address of employment in the LMIA-exempt offer of employment. This information is under the Employment Details – LMIA-exempt tab. |
| City of destination |
The city of destination entered by the applicant should match the address of employment in the LMIA-exempt offer of employment. This information is under the Employment Details – LMIA-exempt tab. |
| Exemption code |
C44 This code is auto-populated from the LMIA-exempt offer of employment. This code should only be changed in specific circumstances. For further instruction see the following: Changes between the offer of employment and the work permit application. |
| NOC |
#### The NOC code is auto-populated from the LMIA-exempt offer of employment. |
| Intended occupation |
Job title This is auto-populated from the LMIA-exempt offer of employment. |
| LMIA/LMIA-exempt # |
“A” number from the work permit application. This number is auto-populated from the work permit application, and it is what is used to “match” in the Portal. If the work permit application was submitted on paper, the officer must manually enter the number. |
| Employer |
Business operating name |
| Duration |
Officers may issue an LMIA-exempt work permit that is valid for the duration of the offer of employment or until the travel document expires, whichever is earlier. If the foreign national is exempt from the travel document requirement (for example, they are a United States citizen), the work permit should be issued for the full duration of the offer of employment. Refer to Validity period for work permits |
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