Service Category
Temporary Residence
Temporary residence covers the pathways that let someone come to Canada for a defined period — to visit family, study, work, or accompany a partner who is doing one of those things.
It includes visitor visas and eTAs, study permits, open and employer-specific work permits, LMIAs for employers, and work permits under trade agreements and youth mobility programs. Each has its own purpose and conditions, so the right starting point depends on what you're trying to do in Canada and for how long.
Visitor Visa
A temporary resident visa for visiting Canada for tourism, family, or short business trips.
Suitable for: People who want to visit family, see Canada, or attend a short business trip and need a visa to enter.
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Study Permit
The authorization required to study at a Designated Learning Institution in Canada.
Suitable for: Prospective international students accepted into a program at a Canadian Designated Learning Institution (DLI).
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Spousal Open Work Permit
An open work permit for the spouse or partner of certain permit holders or applicants.
Suitable for: Spouses or common-law partners of eligible work or study permit holders, or of certain permanent residence applicants.
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Super Visa
A long-validity multiple-entry visa for parents and grandparents of Canadians.
Suitable for: Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who want to visit for extended periods.
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Post-Graduation Work Permit
An open work permit for eligible graduates of Canadian study programs.
Suitable for: Recent graduates of an eligible program at a Designated Learning Institution.
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Employer-Specific Work Permit
A work permit tied to a specific Canadian employer and job offer.
Suitable for: Workers with a confirmed Canadian job offer who need a permit tied to that specific employer.
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Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
Support for employers seeking to hire a temporary foreign worker through an LMIA.
Suitable for: Canadian employers who want to hire a foreign worker where no LMIA exemption applies.
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International Experience Canada (IEC)
Working holiday and youth mobility programs for citizens of partner countries.
Suitable for: Young adults from IEC partner countries who want to work and travel in Canada.
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Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
An online entry requirement for visa-exempt travellers flying to, or connecting through, a Canadian airport.
Suitable for: Visa-exempt travellers flying to Canada, and some visa-required travellers who qualify to fly with an eTA instead of a visa.
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Intra-Company Transfer Work Permit
An LMIA-exempt work permit for key staff moving to a Canadian parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate of their employer.
Suitable for: Executives, senior managers and specialized knowledge employees of international companies with a related business in Canada.
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CUSMA Professional Work Permit
An LMIA-exempt work permit for U.S. and Mexican citizens in listed professions with prearranged work in Canada.
Suitable for: U.S. and Mexican citizens qualified in a profession listed in CUSMA who have a job arranged with a Canadian employer.
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Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP)
An open work permit that lets eligible workers keep working while their permanent residence application is processed.
Suitable for: Workers in Canada whose permit is running out while their application for permanent residence under an eligible program is in process.
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