Question: I have been approached by an individual from the UK who has a valid work permit to work in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Worker program. This person is currently working in Alberta but wishes to relocate and work in British Columbia. I have an approved LMO but am unsure as to my next steps.
Answer: If you have an approved LMO and your candidate is qualified to perform the work then you can make him/her an offer of employment. Your candidate will need to apply to change the conditions on their work permit to reflect their new work situation with you as their employer. To change the conditions on the work permit, the candidate will need to submit an application to extend his/her temporary residence status and will also need to obtain a new temporary work permit by submitting an application to Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Case Processing Centre in Vegreville, Alberta.
The candidate will need to provide the Case Processing Centre with a copy of the job offer letter, contract (for low skilled occupations) and the file number from Service Canada confirming your LMO has been approved. The candidate will also have to provide evidence that he/she meets the requirements of the job. Other documents or copies of other documents may also be required. Your candidate should refer to the CIC Guide noted below to ensure their application is as accurate and complete as possible. It should be noted that submitting an inaccurate or incomplete application could result in processing delays, a return of the application, or even a refusal of the application.
It is important to remember that applying for a new Work Permit in Canada must be submitted at least 30 days prior to expiration of the candidate’s current temporary resident status as noted by the expiry date on their current Work Permit.
More information on amending a Work Permit can be found on the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/extend-worker.asp
also has a Guide that will take you through the entire process:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5553E.PDF
application to ‘Change Conditions, Extend My Stay or Remain in Canada’ can be found at:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM1249E.PDF
