A person may enter Canada without a work permit if he/she is employed as a foreign representative. Workers under this category must:
- Be accredited as a foreign representative by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).
- Be entering Canada to carry out official duties as a:
- Diplomatic agent or;
- Consular officer or;
- Representative or official of a country other than Canada or;
- Representative or official of the United Nations or;
- Representative or official of a United Nations agency or;
- Representative or official of an international organization of which Canada is a member.
Family members of the foreign representatives above will normally be able to work in Canada without a work permit as long as they are issued a “no-objection letter” by the DFATD.
Non-accredited employees of international organizations such as the UN who are entering Canada to work at meetings or attend a special assembly also do not need work permits.
In certain cases, domestic workers for high-level members of a diplomatic mission, consular post or international organization will be permitted to work in Canada without a work permit. In order to do so, however, the domestic workers must be approved by the DFATD.
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