You’re a professional athlete or coach

You may be eligible for an employer-specific work permit if Canadians would also be able to work as professional athletes or coaches in your home country.

You must meet both of the following criteria:

Before you submit your work permit application, your employer must do all of the following:

Faster processing

If your job is classified under Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) category 0 or 1 of the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system, you’re eligible for 2-week application processing.

If you need to do other work to support yourself while in Canada

You may also be eligible for an open work permit. Leave the employer section of the application blank when you apply for your open work permit. You can apply for this permit after you arrive in Canada.

Note: When you complete your work permit application, select “Open work permit” as the type of work permit in the “Details of intended work in Canada” section.

Find out how to apply for a work permit.

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2025-06-17