Canada work permit for Indians: employer-specific vs open permits, LMIA, fees and processing time
Most Indians need an employer-specific work permit: a Canadian employer either gets a positive LMIA from ESDC or, if the job is LMIA-exempt, submits an offer of employment to IRCC. You then apply online, give biometrics at a visa application centre in India and pay CAN$155. Open work permits exist only for limited groups, such as eligible spouses and graduates. IRCC fees and processing times change, so confirm them on Canada.ca.
How can an Indian get a Canada work permit?
Most Indians need an employer-specific work permit: a Canadian employer either gets a positive LMIA from ESDC or, if the job is LMIA-exempt, submits an offer of employment to IRCC. You then apply online, give biometrics at a visa application centre in India and pay CAN$155. Open work permits exist only for limited groups, such as eligible spouses and graduates. IRCC fees and processing times change, so confirm them on Canada.ca.
The direct answer: which permit you get is decided by your situation, not by you
Canada.ca says there are two types of work permit, open and employer-specific, and that you cannot choose which one you need. An employer-specific permit lists the employer, occupation and location you are allowed to work for. An open permit lets you work for most employers, but IRCC says most people applying from outside Canada cannot get one.
For a worker in India with a job offer, that usually means an employer-specific permit, backed either by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or by an LMIA exemption under the International Mobility Program. This guide covers the permit itself. For finding the job and your rights at work, read our guide to jobs in Canada for Indians. For permanent residence, read the Express Entry and CRS guide.
Employer-specific vs open work permit at a glance
Point
Employer-specific permit
Open work permit
Who you can work for
Only the employer, occupation and location printed on the permit
Most employers; some permits carry job or location restrictions
Needs a job offer?
Yes
No
What the employer must do
Get a positive LMIA (TFWP), or submit an offer of employment with an LMIA exemption code (IMP)
Nothing at the permit stage; Canada.ca says a worker with an open permit does not need an LMIA
Who can get it from India
Anyone with a qualifying job offer who meets the general requirements
Limited groups only, for example eligible spouses of some workers, Working Holiday (IEC) participants from participating countries and family members of PR applicants. Most open permits are applied for inside Canada
IRCC fee (Canada.ca fee list, modified 21 September 2026)
CAN$155 work permit fee
CAN$155 work permit fee plus CAN$100 open work permit holder fee
Changing employer
You need a new permit or authorization
Not needed, within any restrictions on the permit
LMIA route vs LMIA-exempt route
LMIA route (Temporary Foreign Worker Program, run by ESDC): the employer applies to Employment and Social Development Canada. A positive LMIA confirms that no Canadian or permanent resident is available and that a foreign worker is needed. ESDC's low-wage page lists a processing fee of CAN$1,000 per position and says it cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the worker. You then attach the LMIA letter and file number to your work permit application.
LMIA-exempt route (International Mobility Program, run by IRCC): if an exemption applies, the employer submits an offer of employment through IRCC's Employer Portal, includes the LMIA exemption code and pays the employer compliance fee, listed at CAN$230 unless exempt. You receive an offer of employment number, which IRCC says can only be used once. Exemptions come from things such as international agreements; the full list is on IRCC's LMIA exemption codes page, and the employer, not you, must show the code applies.
IRCC's 2026 transition binder says that as of 31 December 2025, 90% of IMP permits were open permits and 10% were employer-specific, while every TFWP permit is employer-specific. In other words, for most new arrivals from India with a job offer, the TFWP and an LMIA remain the common route.
How to apply from India, step by step
Get a genuine written job offer and the employer's paperwork: the positive LMIA letter and file number with a job offer letter and contract, or for an LMIA-exempt job, the offer of employment number. If the job is in Quebec for more than 30 days, Canada.ca also lists a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ).
Create an IRCC account and start the work permit application from outside Canada. The core form is IMM 1295. Canada.ca says applying online gives you a personalized document checklist in the portal, which is the list that applies to you.
Upload the documents. For employer-specific permits Canada.ca lists a copy of your passport, a photo, proof you meet the job requirements, proof of past work experience with employer reference letters, and your resume. Police certificates and other local items are set by the visa office, so follow your checklist.
Check whether you need an upfront medical exam. Canada.ca says some jobs, such as health care and child care, always require one; exams are done by an IRCC panel physician.
Pay the fees: CAN$155 for the work permit and CAN$85 for biometrics (CAN$170 maximum for a family applying together), as listed by IRCC in October 2026.
Give biometrics. After you pay, IRCC sends a biometric instruction letter. Canada.ca says you then have 30 days, you need an appointment, and you must not pay anyone for that appointment. It lists India visa application centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, and links to VFS Global booking pages.
Wait for a decision. If approved, Canada.ca says you receive a port of entry letter of introduction, which shows the approval but is not your work permit. You also need a visitor visa to travel if your nationality requires one.
Travel and get the permit at the border. Bring your passport, visa, medical results if required, and the LMIA copy or offer of employment number. Canada.ca says a Canada Border Services Agency officer makes the final decision and prints the work permit.
Fees and processing time shown by IRCC in October 2026
Fees are from IRCC's fee list (date modified 21 September 2026). The processing time is from the data behind IRCC's processing-times tool, which showed 10 weeks for India with a last-updated date of 21 October 2026. IRCC revises these figures often and fees can rise, so check the official fee list and the processing-times tool before you apply.
We did not find a current official LMIA processing time for each stream on the ESDC pages we read, so we do not quote one.
Item
Amount or time
Who pays / note
Work permit (including extensions)
CAN$155 per person
Worker
Open work permit holder fee
CAN$100
Only for open permits
Biometrics
CAN$85 per person; CAN$170 maximum per family
Worker
Employer compliance fee (LMIA-exempt jobs)
CAN$230 unless exempt
Employer
LMIA processing fee
CAN$1,000 per position
Employer only; ESDC says it cannot be recovered from the worker
Work permit processing from outside Canada, India
10 weeks (IRCC data last updated 21 October 2026)
Changes weekly; does not include the employer's LMIA wait
What changed in 2024-2026
Low-wage LMIAs in high-unemployment cities: ESDC says LMIA applications submitted from 26 September 2024 for positions paid below the provincial or territorial wage threshold are not processed if the job is in a census metropolitan area with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher. IRCC's 2026 transition binder says construction, health care and food security are exempt from this rule.
Low-wage cap: ESDC lists a general cap of 10% of an employer's workforce at a location in low-wage TFW positions, with a 20% cap for listed sectors such as construction, food manufacturing, hospitals and nursing care. The binder also says the low-wage work period was cut from two years to one year.
Spousal open work permits: since 21 January 2025, IRCC says only select spouses of foreign workers qualify. The worker must be in a TEER 0 or 1 occupation, or a listed TEER 2 or 3 occupation, and their permit must be valid for at least 16 months after IRCC receives the spouse's application. Dependent children are no longer eligible under this measure.
Post-graduation work permits (PGWP): for study permit applications submitted on or after 1 November 2024, graduates of college and other non-degree programs must study in an eligible field linked to labour shortages. Bachelor's, master's and doctoral graduates have no field-of-study requirement. Language minimums are CLB 7 for university graduates and CLB 5 for college graduates, and you must apply within 180 days of confirmation that you completed your program.
Express Entry and the LMIA: IRCC says that as of 3 November 2026 you do not need an LMIA for a job offer to qualify for Express Entry eligibility or CRS points, and that having an LMIA will not give extra points. This is a permanent residence change, not a work permit change; see our Express Entry guide and confirm on the IRCC changes page.
Fewer permits overall: the binder says new worker arrivals in 2025 were 47% lower than in 2024, and the 2026 target is 230,000 temporary workers (170,000 IMP and 60,000 TFWP). Expect more competition for genuine offers.
Documents checklist
Valid passport (copy for the application; the original must be valid for longer than your planned stay when you travel).
Photo meeting IRCC's visa photo specifications.
Form IMM 1295 and any other forms in your portal checklist, such as the family information form if asked.
Positive LMIA letter with file number, job offer letter and employment contract, or the offer of employment number for an LMIA-exempt job.
Proof you meet the job requirements: degrees, diplomas, licences, reference letters from current and past employers, and a resume.
Quebec CAQ if the job is in Quebec for more than 30 days.
Medical exam results from a panel physician, where required, and any police certificate your visa office asks for. Our police clearance certificate guide explains how a PCC is obtained in India.
ECR note for Indian passport holders
Canada is not one of the 17 ECR (emigration check required) countries on the Ministry of External Affairs list, so ECR passport holders do not need emigration clearance on eMigrate for a job in Canada under that list. Check the MEA list if your case is unusual.
LMIA-for-sale and other scam red flags
Anyone selling an LMIA. IRCC's India page says the Canadian employer pays the LMIA fee and the government does not let the worker pay it. ESDC also says employers and their recruiters must not charge or recover recruitment fees from workers, directly or indirectly.
Being asked to pay up front for the right to apply, for training or for supplies, or a promise that you will start work in Canada within a few weeks.
A vague job with no interview, no experience required, wages that look too high, or a job not listed on the company's own website.
Any promise of permanent residence or that your family can join automatically. IRCC states that no one can guarantee PR, and spousal open permits are now limited.
Paying for a biometrics appointment. Canada.ca says biometrics appointments are free to book.
An unauthorized paid agent. IRCC says paid representatives must be lawyers, paralegals, Quebec notaries or consultants registered with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), and it may return or refuse applications from unauthorized agents who charge a fee.
None of the pages we read gave a current official LMIA processing time for the low-wage or high-wage streams, or a total time from job offer to arrival.
IRCC's processing time for India covers the IRCC application only. It does not include the time the employer needs to get an LMIA or prepare the offer.
The pages we read do not list every LMIA exemption. The IMP and LMIA pages send employers to the exemption codes page, which we did not review code by code.
We did not confirm which countries take part in International Experience Canada in 2026, so do not assume Indian citizens can use it.
Canada.ca pages carry different review dates (for example the employer-specific and open permit pages show 31 March 2026, the forms page 17 July 2026), so rules may have moved since. Confirm on the official page before you pay or apply.
A note on Job Spectra
Job Spectra is operated by Spectravault Group LLP. We do not currently hold an eMigrate recruiting-agent registration, we are not an authorized Canadian immigration representative, and we cannot obtain an LMIA or a work permit for you. Our Trust Center explains our no-upfront-job-fees policy. You can browse jobs or submit your CV, but we do not guarantee any job or visa. If you are a nurse, start with our guide for Indian nurses in Canada, and to compare other countries see visa sponsorship jobs by country.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28. Information only, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an open and an employer-specific work permit in Canada?
An employer-specific permit names the employer, occupation and location you may work for. An open permit lets you work for most employers. Canada.ca says you cannot choose the type, and most people applying from outside Canada cannot get an open permit.
How much does a Canada work permit cost for Indians?
IRCC's fee list (modified 21 September 2026) shows CAN$155 for a work permit and CAN$85 for biometrics, plus CAN$100 for an open work permit holder. The employer pays the CAN$1,000 LMIA fee or the CAN$230 compliance fee. Check the official fee list before paying.
What is the Canada work permit processing time from India?
IRCC's processing-times data showed 10 weeks for a work permit applied for from outside Canada by applicants in India, last updated 21 October 2026. It changes often and does not include the employer's LMIA wait.
Is an LMIA required for every Canada work permit?
No. Most jobs need one, but some are LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program, where the employer submits an offer of employment with an exemption code. Open permit holders also do not need an LMIA.
Can I pay for an LMIA?
No. IRCC says the employer pays the LMIA fee and the government does not let the worker pay it, and ESDC says the fee cannot be recovered from the worker. Treat any LMIA for sale as a scam.
Can my spouse get an open work permit if I go to Canada on a work permit?
Only in some cases. Since 21 January 2025 IRCC limits it to spouses of workers in TEER 0 or 1 jobs or listed TEER 2 or 3 jobs, with at least 16 months left on the worker's permit when the spouse applies. Dependent children are no longer eligible under that measure.
Do Indians need a visa as well as a work permit for Canada?
Canada.ca says you need a visitor visa to travel if your nationality requires one, and that you receive a port of entry letter when your work permit is approved. A border officer then issues the actual permit when you arrive.
Where do I give biometrics in India?
At a visa application centre after you receive the biometric instruction letter. Canada.ca lists centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune, says you have 30 days and need an appointment, and says not to pay anyone for one.
Does a work permit lead to PR in Canada?
Not automatically. Canadian work experience can help in Express Entry, and IRCC says from 3 November 2026 a job offer no longer needs an LMIA for CRS points, but no one can guarantee PR.