Canadian immigration law starts from the position that a foreign national needs a work permit to work in Canada. Section 186 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations then sets out a closed list of exceptions, running from paragraph (a) to paragraph (x).
On This Page, You Will Find:
- Why “no work permit” is different from “no LMIA”
- The complete section 186 list, paragraph by paragraph
- Business visitors and the two tests that decide the question
- Diplomats, military personnel and government officers
- Performers, athletes, journalists, speakers and convention staff
- Clergy, examiners, expert witnesses and inspectors
- Students working on and off campus, and the 24-hour cap
- Continued work while a renewal is pending
- Two public policies that also allow work without a permit
- What the exemption does not do for you
- Frequently asked questions
If your activity is on that list, you need no permit, no employer offer of employment and no application fee. If it is not on the list, you need a permit, even if the work is short, unpaid or highly specialised.
Work-Permit-Exempt Is Not The Same As LMIA-Exempt
These two ideas are constantly confused, and the confusion is expensive.
- Work-permit-exempt means section 186 or a ministerial public policy authorises the work directly. There is no permit to apply for.
- LMIA-exempt means you still need a work permit, but your employer does not need a Labour Market Impact Assessment. Those categories sit inside the International Mobility Program.
The categories on this page are permit exemptions. For the separate and much longer list of roles that need a permit but no labour market test, see our guide to Canada jobs and categories that do not require an LMIA.
Business Visitors
Paragraph 186(a) exempts business visitors. Section 187 then defines the term, and it is the definition rather than the job title that decides the outcome.
A person engages in international business activities without directly entering the Canadian labour market only if both of the following are true:
- the primary source of remuneration for the business activities is outside Canada, and
- the principal place of business and the actual place of accrual of profits remain predominantly outside Canada.
Section 187 also names three specific groups: people purchasing Canadian goods or services for a foreign business or government, or receiving training in respect of those goods or services; people receiving or giving training within a Canadian parent or subsidiary of the corporation that employs them abroad, where any resulting production is incidental; and people representing a foreign business or government to sell goods, provided they are not selling to the general public in Canada.
Foreign Representatives, Their Families And Military Personnel
- 186(b) – foreign representatives accredited by Global Affairs Canada who are in Canada on official duties as diplomatic agents, consular officers, or officials of another country, the United Nations, or an international organisation of which Canada is a member.
- 186(c) – family members of an accredited foreign representative with diplomatic status, where the department has stated in writing that it does not object to them working.
- 186(d) – members of the armed forces of a designated state under the Visiting Forces Act, including designated civilian components.
Foreign Government Officers And Cross-Border Officials
- 186(e) – officers of a foreign government sent under an exchange agreement to take up duties with a federal or provincial agency.
- 186(e.1) – cross-border maritime law enforcement officers designated by the United States under the 2009 Framework Agreement on Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations.
- 186(e.2) – in-flight security officers employed by a foreign government with which Canada has an arrangement on commercial passenger aircraft security.
The last two are routinely left off older lists, including earlier versions of this page.
Performers, Athletes, Journalists, Speakers And Convention Staff
- 186(g) Performing artists – artists appearing alone or in a group, and staff integral to the performance, provided they are part of a foreign production or group or are a guest artist in a Canadian one, the engagement is time-limited, and they are not in an employment relationship with the Canadian organisation contracting for their services. Performances that are primarily for a film production or a television or radio broadcast are excluded.
- 186(h) Athletes and team members – participants in sports activities or events in Canada, individually or as a member of a foreign-based team or a Canadian amateur team.
- 186(i) News reporters and media crews – employees of a foreign news company reporting on events in Canada.
- 186(j) Public speakers – guest speakers making a speech or delivering a paper at a dinner, graduation, convention or similar function, and commercial speakers or seminar leaders delivering a seminar lasting no more than five days.
- 186(k) Convention organisers – members of the executive of an organising committee and its administrative support staff. Hands-on suppliers such as audio-visual crews and stand builders are not covered.
Clergy, Officials, Examiners And Experts
- 186(l) Religious leaders – people responsible for helping a congregation achieve its spiritual goals whose main duties are preaching doctrine, performing functions related to gatherings, or providing spiritual counselling. Broader community service roles need a permit.
- 186(m) Judges and referees – officials at an international amateur sports competition, an international cultural or artistic event or competition, or an animal or agricultural competition.
- 186(n) Examiners and evaluators – of research proposals, or of university projects, programmes or theses.
- 186(o) Expert witnesses and investigators – experts conducting surveys or analyses to be used as evidence, or appearing as expert witnesses, before a federal or provincial regulatory body, tribunal or court.
Health Field Students And Aviation Inspectors
- 186(p) – students in a health field, including medical electives and clinical clerks at a Canadian medical teaching institution, whose primary purpose is acquiring training, provided they hold written approval from the regulator for that field. This category was missing from earlier versions of this page and matters to a large number of visiting clerks each year.
- 186(q) – civil aviation inspectors of a national aeronautical authority inspecting flight operation procedures or cabin safety of a commercial air carrier operating international flights.
- 186(r) – accredited representatives or advisers participating in an aviation accident or incident investigation under the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.
Crew Members And Emergency Service Providers
- 186(s) Crew – crew employed by a foreign company aboard a means of transportation that is foreign-owned, not registered in Canada, and engaged primarily in international transportation.
- 186(t) Emergency service providers – providers of emergency services, including medical services, for the protection or preservation of life or property. This is the provision relied on by disaster response teams and by adjusters and assessors responding to an emergency.
Students: On Campus, Off Campus And After Graduation
Three paragraphs cover students, and the off-campus rule changed in November 2024.
- 186(f) On campus – a full-time student may work on the campus of the university or college at which they are a full-time student, for the period covered by their study permit. See our guide to on-campus work.
- 186(v) Off campus – a study permit holder may work off campus without a separate permit if they are a full-time student at a designated learning institution, enrolled in a post-secondary academic, vocational or professional training programme (or a Quebec secondary-level vocational programme) of at least six months leading to a degree, diploma or certificate, and they work no more than 24 hours per week during a regular academic session. Full-time work is permitted during scheduled breaks between academic sessions. Our page on off-campus work covers the practical detail.
- 186(w) After graduation – a study permit holder who has completed their programme, met the off-campus conditions, and applied for a work permit before their study permit expired may keep working while the application is pending. This is the bridge to a Post-Graduation Work Permit.
Continued Work While A Renewal Is Pending
Paragraph 186(u) allows a foreign national who stayed in Canada after their work permit expired to keep working under the conditions of the expired permit until a decision is made, provided the renewal application was filed before expiry. IRCC now calls this maintained status rather than implied status.
Note one trap: if you leave Canada while on maintained status, you lose the right to work on return until the new permit is approved.
Registered Indians
Paragraph 186(x) exempts anyone who is an Indian as defined under the Indian Act. Registration under the Indian Act, not citizenship, is what matters.
Two Public Policies That Also Allow Work Without A Permit
Outside section 186, the Minister has created two standing public policies under section 25.2 of the Act. Both are granted at a port of entry and neither is open to people already in Canada.
- Short-term high-skilled work – 15 consecutive days once every six months, or 30 consecutive days once every 12 months, for work in a National Occupational Classification TEER 0 or TEER 1 occupation.
- 120-day researcher exemption – 120 consecutive days once every 12 months for researchers with an offer from a publicly funded degree-granting institution or an affiliated research institution, who will contribute significantly to the research project.
In both cases the clock runs consecutively from the day the exemption is granted, and travel outside Canada does not extend it. Ask the border services officer for a visitor record (IMM 1097) noting the authorisation to work; you will need it to obtain a social insurance number and be paid.
What The Exemption Does Not Do
Being work-permit-exempt does not remove the ordinary requirements to enter Canada.
- You still need the right entry document, either a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorisation, depending on nationality.
- You must still be admissible to Canada.
- You must still respect the period of authorised stay granted at entry, which is separate from the length of the exemption.
- Provincial and territorial licensing rules continue to apply. An exemption from federal work authorisation is not a licence to practise a regulated profession.
Volunteering is also frequently misunderstood. Unpaid activity that does not compete for a position in the Canadian labour market may fall outside the definition of “work” altogether, but genuinely unremunerated charitable or religious work that does amount to work is handled through the LMIA-exempt route, not through section 186.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which jobs in Canada do not require a work permit?
Only those listed in section 186 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, together with two ministerial public policies. The section 186 list covers business visitors, foreign representatives and their families, designated military personnel, foreign government officers, cross-border maritime and in-flight security officers, on-campus and eligible off-campus students, performing artists, athletes, foreign news crews, public speakers, convention organisers, religious leaders, judges and referees, examiners and evaluators, expert witnesses, health-field students, civil aviation and accident inspectors, foreign crew, emergency service providers, people awaiting a permit renewal, recent graduates awaiting a decision, and registered Indians.
How many hours can an international student work off campus without a work permit?
Since the regulations were amended in November 2024, an eligible study permit holder may work up to 24 hours per week off campus during a regular academic session. Full-time work is allowed during regularly scheduled breaks between sessions. The student must be enrolled full time at a designated learning institution in a qualifying programme of at least six months.
Can a business visitor be paid by a Canadian company?
Generally no. To qualify as a business visitor, the primary source of remuneration must be outside Canada, and the principal place of business and place where profits accrue must remain predominantly outside Canada. Being paid from a Canadian source is usually fatal to the exemption and points to a work permit being required.
Do short-term trainers or seminar leaders need a work permit?
A commercial speaker or seminar leader can work without a permit if the seminar lasts no longer than five days. Longer engagements, and ongoing corporate training roles, fall outside paragraph 186(j) and require a work permit, though they may still qualify for an LMIA exemption.
What is maintained status, and can I keep working?
Maintained status applies where you applied to renew your work permit before it expired and are waiting for a decision. You may continue working under the same conditions as the expired permit. If you leave Canada during that period, you cannot resume work when you return until the new permit is issued.
Do I still need a visa if I do not need a work permit?
Yes, if your nationality requires one. A work permit exemption says nothing about your entry document, so you may still need a temporary resident visa or an electronic travel authorisation, plus biometrics where applicable, and you must be admissible to Canada.