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Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot: Work permit (optional)

From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

1-year work permit

If you have applied for permanent residence under the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, you may also be eligible for a 1-year work permit. The work permit lets you work while your permanent residence application is being processed.

To qualify for a work permit, you must

This work permit

Work permits for spouses or common-law partners

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for an open work permit at the same time as you apply for your 1-year work permit.

Their work permit will only let them work in the same community as you.

How to apply for the work permit

You must apply online for the work permit. You can’t apply on paper.

Your application must include all of the following:

The application forms and process you need to follow depend on where you’re applying from.

If you’re in Canada as a visitor only (you don’t have a study or work permit), find out how you can apply for a work permit from inside Canada.

Applying from outside Canada

Step 1: make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you’ll need

  • a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents, and
  • a valid credit or debit card

Note: your employer must give you an offer of employment number before you start your work permit application.

Step 2: create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to

  • pay your fees
  • submit your application
  • check your status
Create an account or sign in

Step 3: check your country-specific application requirements

Some countries have additional visa office requirements. Use the tool below to check if you have additional requirements.

Where are you applying from?

Country Country-specific visa office requirements
Afghanistan Visa office requirements for applicants in Afghanistan (PDF, 519 KB)
Albania No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Algeria No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Andorra No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Angola Visa office requirements for applicants in Angola (PDF, 226 KB)
Anguilla Visa office requirements for applicants in Anguilla (PDF, 320 KB)
Antigua and Barbuda Visa office requirements for applicants in Antigua and Barbuda (PDF, 320 KB)
Argentina Visa office requirements for applicants in Argentina (PDF, 320 KB)
Armenia Visa office requirements for applicants in Armenia (PDF, 367 KB)
Aruba Visa office requirements for applicants in Aruba (PDF, 223 KB)
Australia Visa office requirements for applicants in Australia (PDF, 273 KB)
Austria No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Azerbaijan Visa office requirements for applicants in Azerbaijan (PDF, 334 KB)
Bahamas No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Bahrain Visa office requirements for applicants in Bahrain (PDF, 519 KB)
Bangladesh Visa office requirements for applicants in Bangladesh (PDF, 519 KB)
Barbados Visa office requirements for applicants in Barbados (PDF, 320 KB)
Belarus No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Belgium No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Belize Visa office requirements for applicants in Belize (PDF, 223 KB)
Benin Visa office requirements for applicants in Benin (PDF, 285 KB)
Bermuda Visa office requirements for applicants in Bermuda (PDF, 259 KB)
Bhutan Visa office requirements for applicants in Bhutan (PDF, 223 KB)
Bolivia Visa office requirements for applicants in Bolivia (PDF, 296 KB)
Bonaire Visa office requirements for applicants in Bonaire (PDF, 223 KB)
Bosnia and Herzegovina No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Botswana Visa office requirements for applicants in Botswana (PDF, 226 KB)
Brazil Visa office requirements for applicants in Brazil (PDF, 258 KB)
British Virgin Islands Visa office requirements for applicants in British Virgin Islands (PDF, 320 KB)
Brunei Visa office requirements for applicants in Brunei (PDF, 258 KB)
Bulgaria No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Burkina Faso Visa office requirements for applicants in Burkina Faso (PDF, 320 KB)
Burma (Myanmar) No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Burundi Visa office requirements for applicants in Burundi (PDF, 258 KB)
Cambodia Visa office requirements for applicants in Cambodia (PDF, 242 KB)
Cameroon Visa office requirements for applicants in Cameroon (PDF, 242 KB)
Canada No additional Visa office requirements exist for your country.
Cape Verde Visa office requirements for applicants in Cape Verde (PDF, 242 KB)
Cayman Islands No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Central African Republic Visa office requirements for applicants in Central African Republic (PDF, 378 KB)
Chad No additional Visa office requirements exist for your country.
Chile Visa office requirements for applicants in Chile (PDF, 378 KB)
China (People’s Republic of) Visa office requirements for applicants in China (People’s Republic of) (PDF, 406 KB)
Colombia Visa office requirements for applicants in Colombia (PDF, 406 KB)
Comoros Island Visa office requirements for applicants in Comoros Island (PDF, 258 KB)
Congo Visa office requirements for applicants in Congo (PDF, 258 KB)
Costa Rica Visa office requirements for applicants in Costa Rica (PDF, 223 KB)
Côte d’Ivoire Visa office requirements for applicants in Côte d'Ivoire (PDF, 223 KB)
Croatia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Cuba Visa office requirements for applicants in Cuba (PDF, 223 KB)
Cyprus No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Czech Republic No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Democratic Republic of the Congo Visa office requirements for applicants in Democratic Republic of the Congo (PDF, 223 KB)
Denmark Visa office requirements for applicants in Denmark (PDF, 296 KB)
Djibouti Visa office requirements for applicants in Djibouti (PDF, 296 KB)
Dominica Visa office requirements for applicants in Dominica (PDF, 320 KB)
Dominican Republic Visa office requirements for applicants in Dominican Republic (PDF, 223 KB)
Ecuador Visa office requirements for applicants in Ecuador (PDF, 223 KB)
Egypt Visa office requirements for applicants in Egypt (PDF, 223 KB)
El Salvador Visa office requirements for applicants in El Salvador (PDF, 223 KB)
Equatorial Guinea Visa office requirements for applicants in Equatorial Guinea (PDF, 285 KB)
Eritrea Visa office requirements for applicants in Eritrea (PDF, 285 KB)
Estonia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Ethiopia Visa office requirements for applicants in Ethiopia (PDF, 285 KB)
Fiji Visa office requirements for applicants in Finland (PDF, 296 KB)
Finland Visa office requirements for applicants in Fiji (PDF, 285 KB)
France No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Gabon Visa office requirements for applicants in Gabon (PDF, 285 KB)
Gambia Visa office requirements for applicants in Gambia (PDF, 285 KB)
Georgia Visa office requirements for applicants in Georgia (PDF, 334 KB)
Germany No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Ghana Visa office requirements for applicants in Ghana (PDF, 285 KB)
Greece Greece
Grenada Visa office requirements for applicants in Grenada (PDF, 320 KB)
Guatemala Visa office requirements for applicants in Guatemala (PDF, 223 KB)
Guinea Visa office requirements for applicants in Guinea (PDF, 223 KB)
Guinea-Bissau Visa office requirements for applicants in Guinea-Bissau (PDF, 223 KB)
Guyana Visa office requirements for applicants in Guyana (PDF, 320 KB)
Haiti No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Holy See No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Honduras Visa office requirements for applicants in Honduras (PDF, 223 KB)
Hong Kong (SAR) Visa office requirements for applicants in Hong Kong (SAR) (PDF, 303 KB)
Hungary No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Iceland Visa office requirements for applicants in Iceland (PDF, 296 KB)
India Visa office requirements for applicants in India (PDF, 296 KB)
Indonesia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Iran Visa office requirements for applicants in Iran (PDF, 334 KB)
Iraq Visa office requirements for applicants in Iraq (PDF, 162 KB)
Ireland Visa office requirements for applicants in Ireland (PDF, 296 KB)
Israel Visa office requirements for applicants in Israel (PDF, 313 KB)
Italy No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Jamaica No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Japan Visa office requirements for applicants in Japan (PDF, 395 KB)
Jordan Visa office requirements for applicants in Jordan (PDF, 162 KB)
Kazakhstan Visa office requirements for applicants in Kazakhstan (PDF, 367 KB)
Kenya Visa office requirements for applicants in Kenya (PDF, 367 KB)
Kiribati Visa office requirements for applicants in Kiribati (PDF, 273 KB)
Kosovo No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Kuwait Visa office requirements for applicants in Kuwait (PDF, 519 KB)
Kyrgyzstan Visa office requirements for applicants in Kyrgyzstan (PDF, 367 KB)
Laos Visa office requirements for applicants in Laos (PDF, 242 KB)
Latvia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Lebanon Visa office requirements for applicants in Lebanon (PDF, 242 KB)
Lesotho Visa office requirements for applicants in Lesotho (PDF, 226 KB)
Liberia Visa office requirements for applicants in Liberia (PDF, 285 KB)
Libya Visa office requirements for applicants in Libya (PDF, 239 KB)
Liechtenstein No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Lithuania No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Luxembourg No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Macao Visa office requirements for applicants in Macao (PDF, 303 KB)
Madagascar Visa office requirements for applicants in Madagascar (PDF, 226 KB)
Malawi Visa office requirements for applicants in Malawi (PDF, 226 KB)
Malaysia Visa office requirements for applicants in Malaysia (PDF, 226 KB)
Maldives Visa office requirements for applicants in Maldives (PDF, 226 KB)
Mali Visa office requirements for applicants in Mali (PDF, 226 KB)
Malta No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Marshall Islands Visa office requirements for applicants in Marshall Islands (PDF, 395 KB)
Martinique Visa office requirements for applicants in Martinique (PDF, 320 KB)
Mauritania Visa office requirements for applicants in Mauritania (PDF, 320 KB)
Mauritius Visa office requirements for applicants in Mauritius (PDF, 226 KB)
Mexico Visa office requirements for applicants in Mexico (PDF, 223 KB)
Micronesia (Federated States of) Visa office requirements for applicants in Micronesia (Federated States of) (PDF, 395 KB)
Moldova No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Monaco No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Mongolia Visa office requirements for applicants in Mongolia (PDF, 303 KB)
Montenegro No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Morocco Visa office requirements for applicants in Morocco (PDF, 322 KB)
Mozambique Visa office requirements for applicants in Mozambique (PDF, 226 KB)
Namibia Visa office requirements for applicants in Namibia (PDF, 226 KB)
Nauru Visa office requirements for applicants in Nauru (PDF, 273 KB)
Nepal Visa office requirements for applicants in Nepal (PDF, 303 KB)
Netherlands No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
New Caledonia Visa office requirements for applicants in New Caledonia (PDF, 273 KB)
New Zealand Visa office requirements for applicants in New Zealand (PDF, 273 KB)
Nicaragua Visa office requirements for applicants in Nicaragua (PDF, 223 KB)
Niger Visa office requirements for applicants in Niger (PDF, 223 KB)
Nigeria Visa office requirements for applicants in Nigeria (PDF, 396 KB)
North Korea Visa office requirements for applicants in North Korea (PDF, 406 KB)
North Macedonia (Republic of) No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Norway Visa office requirements for applicants in Norway (PDF, 296 KB)
Oman Visa office requirements for applicants in Oman (PDF, 519 KB)
Pakistan Visa office requirements for applicants in Pakistan (PDF, 519 KB)
Palestinian Authority (Gaza) Visa office requirements for applicants in Palestinian Authority (Gaza) (PDF, 519 KB)
Palestinian Authority (West Bank) Visa office requirements for applicants in Palestinian Authority (West Bank) (PDF, 162 KB)
Panama Visa office requirements for applicants in Panama (PDF, 223 KB)
Papua New Guinea Visa office requirements for applicants in Papua New Guinea (PDF, 273 KB)
Paraguay Visa office requirements for applicants in Paraguay (PDF, 273 KB)
Peru Visa office requirements for applicants in Peru (PDF, 296 KB)
Philippines Visa office requirements for applicants in Philippines (PDF, 395 KB)
Poland No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Portugal No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Puerto Rico Visa office requirements for applicants in Puerto Rico (PDF, 259 KB)
Qatar Visa office requirements for applicants in Qatar (PDF, 519 KB)
Romania No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Russia Visa office requirements for applicants in Russia (PDF, 367 KB)
Rwanda Visa office requirements for applicants in Rwanda (PDF, 258 KB)
Samoa Visa office requirements for applicants in Samoa (PDF, 273 KB)
San Marino No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Sao Tome and Principe Visa office requirements for applicants in Sao Tome and Principe (PDF, 285 KB)
Saudi Arabia Visa office requirements for applicants in Saudi Arabia (PDF, 563 KB)
Senegal Visa office requirements for applicants in Senegal (PDF, 563 KB)
Serbia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Seychelles Visa office requirements for applicants in Seychelles (PDF, 258 KB)
Sierra Leone Visa office requirements for applicants in Sierra Leone (PDF, 285 KB)
Singapore Visa office requirements for applicants in Singapore (PDF, 285 KB)
Slovakia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Slovenia No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Solomon Islands Visa office requirements for applicants in Solomon Islands (PDF, 273 KB)
Somalia Visa office requirements for applicants in Somalia (PDF, 273 KB)
South Africa Visa office requirements for applicants in South Africa (PDF, 226 KB)
South Korea Visa office requirements for applicants in South Korea (PDF, 395 KB)
South Sudan Visa office requirements for applicants in South Sudan (PDF, 395 KB)
Spain No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Sri Lanka Visa office requirements for applicants in Sri Lanka (PDF, 395 KB)
St. Kitts and Nevis Visa office requirements for applicants in St. Kitts and Nevis (PDF, 320 KB)
St. Lucia Visa office requirements for applicants in St. Lucia (PDF, 320 KB)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Visa office requirements for applicants in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (PDF, 320 KB)
Sudan Visa office requirements for applicants in Sudan (PDF, 320 KB)
Suriname Visa office requirements for applicants in Suriname (PDF, 320 KB)
Swaziland Visa office requirements for applicants in Swaziland (PDF, 226 KB)
Sweden Visa office requirements for applicants in Sweden (PDF, 296 KB)
Switzerland No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Syria Visa office requirements for applicants in Syria
Tahiti Visa office requirements for applicants in Tahiti (PDF, 273 KB)
Taiwan (Republic of China) Visa office requirements for applicants in Taiwan (Republic of China) (PDF, 303 KB)
Tajikistan Visa office requirements for applicants in Tajikistan (PDF, 367 KB)
Tanzania Visa office requirements for applicants in Tanzania (PDF, 258 KB)
Thailand Visa office requirements for applicants in Thailand (PDF, 242 KB)
Timor-Leste (Timor oriental) No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Togo Visa office requirements for applicants in Togo (PDF, 285 KB)
Tonga Visa office requirements for applicants in Tonga (PDF, 273 KB)
Trinidad and Tobago Visa office requirements for applicants in Trinidad and Tobago (PDF, 320 KB)
Tunisia Visa office requirements for applicants in Tunisia (PDF, 239 KB)
Turkey Visa office requirements for applicants in Turkey (PDF, 334 KB)
Turkmenistan Visa office requirements for applicants in Turkmenistan (PDF, 334 KB)
Turks and Caicos Islands No additional visa office requirements exist for your country.
Tuvalu Visa office requirements for applicants in Tuvalu (PDF, 273 KB)
Uganda Visa office requirements for applicants in Uganda (PDF, 258 KB)
Ukraine Visa office requirements for applicants in Ukraine (PDF, 291 KB)
United Arab Emirates Visa office requirements for applicants in United Arab Emirates (PDF, 519 KB)
United Kingdom Visa office requirements for applicants in United Kingdom (PDF, 296 KB)
United States of America Visa office requirements for applicants in United States of America (PDF, 259 KB)
Uruguay Visa office requirements for applicants in Uruguay (PDF, 259 KB)
US Virgin Islands Visa office requirements for applicants in US Virgin Islands (PDF, 259 KB)
Uzbekistan Visa office requirements for applicants in Uzbekistan (PDF, 367 KB)
Vanuatu Visa office requirements for applicants in Vanuatu (PDF, 273 KB)
Venezuela Visa office requirements for applicants in Venezuela (PDF, 223 KB)
Vietnam No additional Visa office requirements exist for your country.
Yemen Visa office requirements for applicants in Yemen (PDF, 519 KB)
Zambia Visa office requirements for applicants in Zambia (PDF, 258 KB)
Zimbabwe Visa office requirements for applicants in Zimbabwe (PDF, 226 KB)

Visa office requirements for applicants in Syria

Choose one of the following:

If your country has additional visa office requirements, you need to follow the instructions in the document. In some cases, you need to upload a specific form as part of your online application.

Step 4: prepare your answers to get your online checklist

After you sign in to your online account

  1. Select “Apply to come to Canada.”
  2. Select “Visitor visa, study and or work permit” under the “Determine your eligibility and apply online:” heading.
  3. You’ll be asked some questions. You must answer all questions truthfully. We use your answers to create a personalized document checklist for you. To apply for a work permit, you must provide specific answers to some questions:
    1. When asked “What you would like to do in Canada?” select “work.”
    2. When asked “How long are you planning to stay in Canada?” select “Temporary, more than 6 months.”
    3. When asked “What type of work permit do you want to apply for?” select “a work permit with a labour market impact assessment exemption.”
    4. When asked “What is the status of your job offer?” select, “Temporary—at least one year.”
  4. Once you complete the questionnaire, you’ll receive your document checklist. Follow the instructions on screen to complete your application.
    1. When you see a request for a document called “Client information,” you must upload the following documents as one scanned file
      1. your community recommendation form
      2. your additional visa office requirements, if applicable for your country
  5. Use the guide if you need help filling out the application form.

Applying from inside Canada

Step 1: Make sure you have what you need

To apply online, you’ll need

  • a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents, and
  • a valid credit or debit card.

Note: your employer must give you an offer of employment number before you start your work permit application.

Step 2: Create your online account or sign in

You need an account to apply online. You can use your account to

  • pay your fees
  • submit your application
  • check your status
Create an account or sign in

Step 3: Access the application tool and prepare your answers

After you sign in to your online account:

  1. Select “Apply to come to Canada.”
  2. Select “Visitor visa, study and or work permit” under the “Determine your eligibility and apply online:” heading.
  3. You’ll be asked some questions. You must answer all questions truthfully. We use your answers to create a personalized document checklist for you. To apply for a work permit, you must provide specific answers to some questions:
    1. When asked “What you would like to do in Canada?” select “work.”
    2. When asked “How long are you planning to stay in Canada?” select “Temporary, more than 6 months.”
    3. When asked “Which situation best describes your work situation?” select “I am eligible for a work permit through an active pilot program.”
  4. Once you complete the questionnaire, you’ll receive your document checklist. You must upload all of the required documents, and pay your fees.
    1. Upload your community recommendation under the “Optional documents section” as the document titled “Client information.”
  5. Use the guide, if you need help filling out the application form.
  1. After you complete your application, follow the online instructions to submit it.

We accept credit cards and prepaid cards from:

  • Visa®
  • MasterCard®
  • American Express®
  • JCB®
  • UnionPay® (for online applications only; debit cards not accepted)

If you use a prepaid credit card, keep it for at least 18 months after you pay to make refunds easier. Find more on prepaid cards.

We also accept all Visa Debit cards.

The card you use doesn't have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

Debit cards

It must:

  • be from a Canadian bank using INTERAC® Online, and
  • be registered for online banking through your bank’s website.

We also accept all Debit MasterCard® and Visa® Debit cards. If your card has the Visa Debit logo on it, alone or with the INTERAC® Online logo, select Visa Debit as your payment method.

The card you use does not have to be in your name. The cardholder’s name will appear on the receipt but it does not need to match your application.

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