Is it Possible to Convert Visit Visa to Work Permit from Inside Canada?
You arrive in Canada on visit visa, meet an employer who likes your experience, and hear the words you were hoping for: “We want to hire you.” Excellent news—but can you turn your visitor visa into permission to start work?
A Canadian visitor visa cannot simply be converted into a work permit in 2027. You need a separate work-permit application, a qualifying employment or open-permit route, and the correct application process. Some visitors can apply from inside Canada; most ordinary visitors cannot rely on their visitor status alone.
Whether you are planning your first trip or already visiting, this guide helps you answer the question that matters before you spend more money: can you apply inland, or must you use the outside-Canada process and arrange travel for permit issuance?
Find your next step
What changed after the old visitor-to-worker policy?
The broad temporary policy allowing visitors with qualifying job offers to apply inland ended on August 28, 2024. Applications submitted before that date remained eligible for processing under the policy. Its previously advertised February 28, 2025 expiry never became an extension opportunity for new applicants.
The second change concerns flagpoling: leaving Canada for the United States or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and returning to obtain immigration services. Restrictions took effect on December 23, 2024. Limited exceptions remain, including certain US citizens/permanent residents and qualifying treaty categories; an ordinary visitor should not plan around this shortcut.
Here is the crucial distinction: having an LMIA or qualifying for an LMIA exemption does not automatically make you eligible to apply from inside Canada. Work-permit eligibility and application-location eligibility are separate tests. Pass both before choosing your application form.
Which visitors can still apply inside Canada?
Some visitors qualify through family relationships, sponsorship, treaty provisions or other specific circumstances. Being physically in Canada is insufficient.
| Your Possible situation | What it means for your application? |
|---|---|
| Visitor with a job offer only | No general inland entitlement. Check another qualifying category or the outside-Canada process. |
| Spouse/partner or child of a permit holder | The family relationship may permit inland filing. Eligibility for the actual work permit, especially an open permit, must be checked separately. |
| Qualifying sponsored spouse/partner | Some applicants living in Canada with their sponsor can qualify for an open permit, subject to sponsorship, status and application-stage requirements. |
| Qualifying CUSMA applicant | Eligible traders, investors, transferees and professionals may apply inland. Treaty citizenship and category requirements apply. |
| Other recognized circumstances | Examples include qualifying protection cases, temporary resident permits valid for at least six months, certain permit-exempt workers and specified Quebec applicants. Each has its own rules. |
A temporary resident permit is not a tourist visa. Likewise, having a relative studying in Canada does not automatically give you an open work permit. Under current general rules, student-spouse eligibility covers qualifying master’s programs of at least 16 months, doctorates and specified professional/other programs; worker-spouse eligibility also has occupation and duration conditions.
You have an offer: follow this application sequence
- Check where you can apply. Read IRCC’s inside-Canada eligibility rules. Identify the exact category covering you. An employer’s willingness to hire does not replace this step.
- Confirm the employment route. For an employer-specific permit, obtain the written offer and either the required positive LMIA or evidence of an applicable exemption. Most LMIA-exempt employers must submit an Employer Portal offer and pay the CAD 230 compliance fee unless exempt. Open-permit applicants instead prove their qualifying circumstances.
- Use the correct IRCC application. Follow the appropriate route through IRCC’s work-permit application pages. Inland applications generally use IMM 5710; outside-Canada applications generally use IMM 1295. Answer location and status questions truthfully and follow your category’s special instructions.
- Prepare the documents and fees. Expect passport, status evidence, employment or family documents, qualifications and route-specific proof. Medical examinations, biometrics, police certificates and translations may be required. Standard fees currently include CAD 155 for a work permit, an additional CAD 100 for applicable open permits and CAD 85 for individual biometrics. Recheck 2027 amounts and exemptions.
- Protect your visitor status while waiting. An outside-Canada work-permit application does not extend your authorized visit. If remaining in Canada, apply separately for a visitor extension before your status expires, where eligible, or leave on time.
- Follow the correct approval process. Inland approval may authorize work through the decision notice before the physical permit arrives by mail. An outside-Canada approval instead normally produces a port-of-entry letter, which is not a work permit. If you receive it while visiting Canada, follow IRCC’s departure and re-entry instructions; the general instruction requires returning from a country other than the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Check applicable exceptions before arranging travel.
For example, a visitor offered a job under Francophone Mobility still needs to resolve inland eligibility. French proficiency can remove the LMIA requirement; it does not remove the separate application-location rules.
Keep your right to stay separate from your right to work
Your visa expiry date is not necessarily the date your authorized stay ends. A visitor visa allows you to travel and seek entry; your admission conditions or visitor record determine how long you may remain. Most visits allow up to six months, but officers can set a different period.
Need more time? IRCC recommends applying for a visitor record at least 30 days before your status expires. A complete, timely extension application can maintain your visitor status while it is decided. It does not grant employment rights. The standard visitor-extension fee is currently CAD 100.
If your status has already expired, an ordinary extension is no longer the answer. Restoration may be available within 90 days if you qualify; approval is not guaranteed, and restoration does not itself authorize work.
Answers before you book flights or accept a start date
Can I contact employers while visiting? Enquiring about vacancies is different from performing work. Be honest about your status and purpose of travel. Do not accept productive trial shifts or assume unpaid work is automatically permitted.
Can I work while my first application is pending? Not merely because you applied. Maintained visitor status maintains visitor conditions. Existing workers and qualifying graduates may have different authorizations; their rules do not automatically apply to first-time visitor applicants.
Does an LMIA guarantee approval? No. It supports the employment side of an application; IRCC still assesses your qualifications, admissibility and other requirements.
Can my spouse work once I receive my permit? Only if independently eligible. A visitor-to-worker transition does not automatically produce a second work permit for your spouse.
Should I fly to Canada first to improve my chances? A trip creates no work-permit entitlement. If employment is your goal, assess the route and seek an offer before committing to travel expenses. Budget for the waiting period without assuming Canadian earnings.
Your 2027 action point: identify your work-permit category, confirm where you may apply, and protect your current status. There is no universal visitor-to-worker application deadline. As checked on October 8, 2026, the former policy remains ended; use your authorized-stay expiry and the relevant permit requirements to plan your next move.
