For those wondering how to find a job in Canada, there are a few different places that you can look to try and find employers who are open to hiring foreign nationals who are not already authorized to work in Canada. For many, finding a job in Canada is the key to being able to immigrate to Canada.
When looking for a job in Canada, it is important to note that a job offer itself is typically just the starting point of your journey to working in Canada. For most jobs, employers will also need to complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). It is the employer’s responsibility to apply for the LMIA, not the employee’s. If the employer receives a positive or neutral outcome it means that they can employ a foreign national as they were able to prove that they could not find a suitable Canadian to fill the position. The LMIA can then be used to obtain a work permit.
In some cases, depending on the specifics of the employer offering you a job in Canada and the position that you are being offered, the employer may be able to go through a provincial nomination program instead of completing the LMIA process. This can be more beneficial as it can be quicker, cheaper, and allows you, the employee, to apply for permanent residence as well as a work permit.
Job Bank
The first place to look for jobs is on Job Bank. Job Bank is a job search site run by the government of Canada. Any employer who applies for a LMIA has to have posted the job on Job Bank. With Job Bank, you can filter your job search so that you are only shown jobs that are open to foreign nationals. To do this you will need to click on the “advanced” options below:
Once you click on the “Advanced” option, it will take you to a new page where you can enter your specific search preferences. Once you are on that page, scroll to the very bottom, where you will find the below option “Intended applicants.”. You will want to select “Canadian and international candidates.”. This will filter the jobs so that you only see jobs where the employer has specifically stated that they are open to hiring a foreign national.
Atlantic Immigration Program
The next place to look for a job in Canada is through the Atlantic Immigration Program. The Atlantic Immigration Program is a pathway to permanent residence for foreign skilled workers and international graduates from a Canadian institution who want to work and live in one of Canada’s Atlantic provinces, which include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. As part of this process, you will need a job offer from an employer who is designated with the program. You can find the list of employers who are designated with each province at the links below. If an employer has been designated, it does not necessarily mean that they are hiring at this moment, but it is a good place to start your search.
Rural Community Immigration Pilot
The Rural Community Immigration Pilot is a pathway to permanent residence for foreign skilled workers who want to work and live in one of the program’s designated 14 communities. As part of the program, you need to find a job offer and show that you have accumulated at least 1 year of full-time work experience as the same NOC as your job offer (or an equal amount in part-time work) within the last 3 years, whether that work experience is continuous or not. Some international students are exempt from this work experience requirement. Each community that is part of the Rural and Nothern Immigration Pilot has its own website where they post job openings that people can apply to. To view the current job openings for each community, you can click on the links below:
- Pictou County, Nova Scotia
- North Bay, Ontario
- Sudbury, Ontario
- Timmins, Ontario
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
- Thunder Bay, Ontario
- Steinbach, Manitoba
- Altona/Rhineland, Manitoba
- Brandon, Manitoba
- Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
- Claresholm, Alberta
- West Kootenay, British Columbia
- North Okanagan Shuswap, British Columbia
- Peace Liard, British Columbia
How to find a job in Canada using job search sites
Another way to look for jobs in Canada is to search for jobs on popular job search sites. On some of these sites, you can search “LMIA” in the search box, and jobs, where the employer has stated an LMIA, is available or they are willing to apply for one will appear. Below is an example using Indeed.
Important things to consider when looking for a job in Canada
Once you have obtained a job offer in Canada, the next step is to see if your occupation is regulated in Canada. If your occupation is regulated, in some cases you will not be issued a work permit unless you can show that you are licensed to work in Canada or have a provisional license to work in Canada. In Canada, most occupations are regulated by each individual province as opposed to at a federal level. You will need to check with the professional body of the province you intend to work in.
Depending on which country you are from, you will also need to ensure that your resumé or CV is in a Canadian format. If you are unsure what this means or need some tips, you can listen to our podcast “Everything you need to know about Canadian resumés” here!
The last thing to consider when trying to find a job in Canada is if it will lead to permanent residence. Some jobs may be too low skilled to lead to permanent residence depending on the location of the job. It is important to ensure you have a pathway to permanent residence if you want to remain in Canada. You can speak to one of our Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants to discuss your immigration options. Book a consultation today!
