There is no such thing as “Green Cards” in Canada. We have “Work Permits”. These are substantially easier to get than Green Cards, but you still have to jump through a lot of hoops. If you are just interested in working here temporarily, you may be able to get the work permit by going to Human Resources Development Canada with the follow steps; The name/address ETC of the Employer offering you the job HRDC will provide a labour market opinion or confirmation of your job offer. (This is to ensure it’s real) Once HRDC confirms that your job can be filled but a foreign national, you can apply to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a work permit. There are however some exemptions to these steps, mostly as a result of Free Trade agreements. You will likely not need a work permit if you fit in to the following categories; International Agreement North American Free Trade Agreement professionals, traders and investors entering under regulation do not need a confirmation from Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC.) This regulation also allows the issuance of work permits to people who enter Canada under other types of international agreements. Entrepreneurs, Company Transfers Some types of entrepreneurs, intra-company transferees and other types of workers, who will provide significant benefit to Canadians or permanent residents by working in Canada do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Exchange Programs Persons whose employment in Canada provides similar employment to Canadians abroad, such as participants in youth exchange programs, exchange teachers and other reciprocal programs do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Students Doing Co-op Foreign students studying in Canada who need to work in order to fulfil co-op placements do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Spouses Spouses and common-law partners of skilled foreign workers, spouses and common-law partners of certain foreign students, spouses and common-law partners of a person doing post-graduation employment for certain foreign students and post-doctoral fellows do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Religious Work Persons undertaking charitable or religious work do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Some Exceptions Certain persons who need to support themselves while they are in Canada for other reasons such as the refugee determination process do not need a confirmation from HRDC. Certain persons who have been accepted for permanent residence in Canada do not need a confirmation from HRDC. This also includes; Business Visitors People coming to Canada on business do not need a work permit. Business visitors must work for a company located outside of Canada. Business visitors cannot directly enter the Canadian labour market. Foreign Representatives Diplomats and official representatives of other countries or the United Nations and their staff, do not need a work permit to work in Canada. Family Members of Foreign Representatives Family members of accredited diplomats may work in Canada without a permit if they have a “no objection letter” from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Military Personnel Members of an armed force from another country may work in Canada without a permit if they possess movement orders which state that they are entering Canada under the terms of the Visiting Forces Act. Foreign Government Officers Canada has exchange agreements with some countries for public officials to work in each other’s government departments. Government officials coming to work in Canada should bring a formal letter of agreement if their period of work is longer than three months. On-Campus Employment Certain foreign students studying in Canada can work on their campus without a work permit. To learn more, see Studying in Canada. Performing Artists Foreign artists and their essential supporting staff coming to Canada to perform do not need a permit if they are only performing in Canada for a limited period of time and will not be performing in a bar or restaurant. Artists working in Canada in this category may not enter into an employment relationship with the Canadian group that has contracted for their services. Artists must also not perform for the production of a movie, television or radio broadcast. Athletes and Coaches Foreign teams, athletes and coaches may compete in Canada without a work permit. News Reporters Reporters working for foreign newspapers, television channels, news agencies, or companies involved in reporting news events may work in Canada to report on events in Canada. Public Speakers Guest speakers, commercial speakers or seminar leaders may speak or deliver training in Canada without a work permit as long as the event is not longer than five days. Convention Organizers Organizers and administrative staff who are organizing meetings or conventions in Canada do not need a work permit. Note: Service providers, such as those who provide audio-visual services and other such “hands-on” help, do need a work permit to work in Canada. Clergy Persons who are coming to Canada to work as ordained ministers, lay persons or members of a religious order, do not need a work permit to perform their religious duties or assist a religious group. These religious duties may include preaching doctrine, presiding at liturgical functions or spiritual counselling. Judges and Referees Officials at international amateur competitions may come to Canada to judge or officiate without a work permit. Examiners and Evaluators Professors and academic experts may come to Canada to evaluate or supervise academic projects, research proposals or university theses. This applies to Canadian research organizations as well as academic institutions. Expert Witnesses or Investigators Experts may work in Canada without a work permit to give evidence for a regulatory body, tribunal or court of law. Health Care Students Foreign health-care students can do their clinical clerkships or short-term work in Canada without a work permit if the work is for the primary purpose of acquiring training Health care students must have written approval from the Canadian regulatory board responsible for their occupation. A normal training practicum should not exceed four months. Note: Although a work permit is not required, a Canadian Immigration medical exam is required before entry. Civil Aviation Inspector Inspectors coming to Canada to do safety inspections of flight operations or cabin safety of commercial airlines doing international flights do not need a work permit. Accident or Incident Inspector Accredited representatives or advisors coming to Canada do not need a work permit to work as part of an aviation accident or incident investigation conducted under the authority of the Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act. Crew Members Foreign members of a crew working on foreign vehicles (for example: flight attendants or shipping crew) do not need a work permit if the vehicle is in Canada for the international transportation of cargo or passengers. Emergency Service Providers Persons coming into Canada to help out in emergencies do not need a work permit if they are entering to help preserve life or property. Examples of emergencies would be natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes, or industrial accidents threatening the environment. If you are looking to become a permanent resident of Canada, you’ll want to take a look at the “Skilled Worker Program”. To fit in to that niche, you must; meet the minimum work experience requirements; prove that they have the funds required for settlement; and earn enough points in the six selection factors to meet the pass mark. (The selection process can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/qual-2.html) You can find all the rest of the information you may need at http://canadainternational.gc.ca/GTC/Going_To_Canada-EN.htm