All work permits issued under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) are employer-specific (closed), while work permits issued under the International Mobility Program (IMP) may be either open or employer-specific.
In 2022, 77% of work permits issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) were open, while 23% were employer-specific.
Key Messages
Employer-specific work permit holders are authorized to work exclusively for the employer who supported the work permit application, while open work permit holders may work for any employer.
All work permit holders have the legal right to apply for a new work permit and change jobs/employers.
Employer-specific work permit holders who are experiencing abuse or at risk of abuse in the context of their employment can apply for an Open Work Permit for Vulnerable Workers (OWP-V).
IRCC supports temporary workers through a number of other measures, including a public policy to allow employer-specific work permit holders to change employers quickly.
This reduces worker vulnerability and wage suppression by providing them with more flexibility to begin work with a new employer, and also supports employers by providing a greater source of labour to combat shortages.
Supplementary Information
Open work permits tied to an occupation (occupation-specific work permits) have been a feature of the Home Child Care Provider and Home Support Worker pilots since 2019, allowing caregivers to change employers as they need to while continuing to work in the caregiving field. IRCC is reviewing the use of sector-specific work permits more broadly.
