Canada Work Permit from Australia

International Experience Canada

One of the most accessible working visas is through the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. This working visa is available in three types:

• Working Holiday Visa – an open work permit that allows you to work in any job vacancy. This open work permit Canada visa is valid for two years
• Young Professional Visa – if you have received a job offer under Canada’s NOC Skill Type 0, Level A or B. This visa is valid for two years
• International Co-op Visa – for a student who studies at an Australian post-secondary institution and is taking part in an internship in Canada. This visa is valid for two years unless it’s your second participation in IEC, then is it valid for one year

Federal Skilled Worker Class

The Federal Skilled Worker Class visa allows you to gain permanent residence in Canada from Australia.

The Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program is under the Express Entry system and uses the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) to rank applicants who want to immigrate permanently to Canada.

Applicants must meet a minimum points requirement based on work experience, language ability, and education. Once in the system, applicants with the highest CRS scores will receive invitations to apply for Canadian permanent residence and can work without restriction.

Federal Skilled Trade Class

Applicants with technical professions are frequently desired as foreign workers in Canada. Therefore, this visa category has been created for people with technical jobs who want to live and work in Canada.

To qualify for this type of work permit, you must meet the following requirements:

• Work experience – have at least two years of full-time paid work experience in a skilled trade within five years of applying for this permit
• Language ability – meet the minimum Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLBs). This is CLB Level 4 writing and reading and CLB Level 5 listening and speaking via an official language test such as IELTS, CELPIP, TCF, and TEF
• Job offer – you need a job offer from a Canadian employer

Canadian Experience Class

This category is for people who have gained full-time work experience for one year in the last three years in Canada,

Knowledge of English or French must be demonstrated in order to apply for this work visa. A minimum CRS Score is required.

Provincial Nominee Program

The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) also belongs within the Express Entry visa category.

Through these PNPs, the provinces can play a more direct role in selecting work applicants in response to the demand within the labour market of the specific province.

For example, provinces may try to select:

• students
• business or trade workers
• skilled workers of certain professions
• semi-skilled workers

Canada Post-graduate Work Permit

You may be eligible for a post-graduation work permit (PGWP) if you graduated from a designated learning institution (DLI) that was less than two years of study, but more than eight months.

This grants you the ability to stay in Canada to work temporarily and is usually issued for three years.

Canada’s Post-graduate Work Permit program is designed to provide an effective path for international students to gain permanent residence status in Canada.

Self-employed Persons Program

The Self-employed Persons Program allows you to immigrate to Canada permanently from Australia as a self-employed person. However, this program was paused in 2024 and is not expected to reopen until January 2027.

Canada work visa requirements, eligibility, and required documents will vary depending on the work permit you want to apply for.

If you are applying for a work permit outside of the IEC program you will need to provide documents such as:

• Valid Australian passport
• Passport photographs
• Proof of previous work experience or qualifications
• Evidence of health insurance cover
• Proof of financial funds
• Documents showing you meet the required language standards

In general, the requirements Australians must meet to be eligible for the IEC program work permits are:

• Have an Australian passport that is valid for the entire duration of your time in Canada
• Be between the ages of 18 and 35 at the time of application

• Prove you have a minimum of CAD$2,500 of accessible funds in your bank account
• Have health insurance for the entire duration of your working holiday
• Evidence of a round-trip ticket or proof of funds to be able to purchase a return flight back to Australia from Canada
• Necessary police certificates
• An updated resume

If you are applying for the Young Professional work permit you must also have proof of a job offer or contract in your expertise under NOC 0, A or B.

If you are applying for the International Co-op work permit, you must have a signed internship, job offer or employment contract which meets your education institution’s eligibility requirements.

In both of these situations, employers in Canada must submit their job offer out of employment through the IRCC’s Employer Portal.

Step 1: Check your eligible for the work permit

Ensure you have checked the requirements for your desired work permit route so that you know you are eligible for the chosen permit. You can also check how many points you would score on the CRS.

Step 2: Gather your documents

To prove your eligibility, you will need to provide all necessary documents, such as language tests or proof of work experience.

Step 3: Create your profile

Fill out your information and submit your profile. If you are eligible, you’ll be accepted into the pool of candidates and given a CRS score.

Step 4: Receive an invitation to apply

Candidates with the highest score will receive an invitation to apply. Once you receive this, you’ll have 60 days to apply.