Working in Canada: your permit, your partner and the diploma that is not yet a licence to practise

Yes, you can work in Canada, and how free you are to do so depends on your status. As a permanent resident you may live, work and study anywhere in Canada, for any employer. With a temporary employer-specific permit you work only for the employer, in the occupation and at the location stated on your permit. The finding at the source concerns your diploma: about 20% of jobs in Canada are regulated, from doctor and nurse to engineer and plumber, and for those you need a licence from the provincial regulatory body. The credential assessment you had done for Express Entry is not that.

Which permit gives you which freedom?

Your situation	Whom you may work for	What to watch
Permanent resident	any employer, anywhere in Canada	you must be in Canada for at least 730 days in five years
Employer-specific work permit	only the employer, location and occupation on your permit	most jobs need an LMIA; changing employer requires a new permit
Open work permit, for example via a working holiday	any employer	except employers on the non-compliant list and a few excluded sectors
Partner of a temporary worker	open permit only if the worker is in TEER 0 or 1, or in a selected occupation in TEER 2 or 3	the worker's permit must be valid for at least 16 more months
Child of a temporary worker	since 21 January 2025 no longer an open work permit under this measure	a permit already obtained can still be extended
Partner of someone who applied for permanent residence through an economic programme	possibly an open work permit	depends on the principal applicant's application

What does an employer-specific permit mean in practice?

Under Additional Information the permit lists the employer, the location and the occupation, and below that a numbered list of conditions. For most jobs the employer must first have a labour market impact assessment (LMIA): a document proving there is a need to hire a foreign worker for the job.

If you want to change jobs or employers, you apply for a new work permit. Do so before your current permit expires: then you may be able to keep working, and you can ask to start with the new employer while the application is being processed. Anyone who switches without that authorisation is working outside the conditions of their permit.

Can my partner work straight away?

If your family comes with you on permanent residence, your partner has the same status and the same freedom. If you come first on a temporary work permit, it has been more limited since 21 January 2025. Your partner only gets an open work permit if you work in a management occupation (TEER 0) or professional occupation (TEER 1), or in a designated occupation in TEER 2 or 3, and if your permit is still valid for at least 16 months after your partner's application. Dependent children are no longer eligible under this measure since that date.

Your credential assessment is not a professional licence. The ECA you have done for Express Entry only shows that your diploma counts for your immigration application. IRCC itself writes that your work experience and professional credentials are not automatically recognised in Canada as a result. Each province regulates the regulated professions itself, through its own regulatory body, and that is where you apply separately for a licence. That applies to a nurse, a doctor, an engineer or a plumber. Start before you leave.

How do I know whether my profession is regulated?

By checking with the regulatory body of the province where you are going to live. Regulated means: the law requires a certificate, licence or registration to use the professional title or to practise the occupation. That applies to about one in five jobs; for the rest that legal requirement does not apply. Recognition is a provincial matter, often delegated by law to the regulatory bodies. How the ECA works and what it does for your points is in Express Entry and your CRS score.

And if I start my own business?

Then you keep an eye on the federal tax agency's turnover threshold. As long as your turnover over four consecutive quarters stays under $30,000, you are a small supplier and do not have to register for GST/HST, the Canadian sales tax. If you exceed it, in one quarter or spread over four quarters, you must register within 29 days of the effective registration date.

For those under 31 there is another route that starts with work: the working holiday via International Experience Canada. The whole route is at /canada.

In Vertrekklaar this is phase 2 of 5 of the journey, step 2.1: the same steps, but for your situation — in your order, tickable, and with the deadlines watched. See the whole journey to Canada or go straight to step 2.1 in the open plan.