Immigration

Your department will work to get permission to offer you employment in Canada. Before you can accept that offer, you'll need to apply for a work permit at the nearest Canadian visa office in your country of citizenship or residence, or online via the IRCC website.

Other things you should know

• Residents of some countries are also required to obtain temporary resident visas and or electronic travel authorizations.
• You're responsible for all fees associated with all government immigration applications.

New faculty and staff with questions about obtaining their Work Permits or Permanent Resident status may contact Housing & Relocation Services for individual support from a regulated immigration consultant.

Once all relevant documents are in place, you'll be able to travel to Canada and meet with a Canadian Border Services Officer. They'll ask you some questions, and then staple the necessary (conditional) permits into your passport(s). Each eligible family member can then work or study legally in Canada. If you have children traveling with you, ensure they receive a stamp in their passport or visitor record.

Renewing your work permit can be done online via the IRCC website from within Canada, well in advance of the expiry date. If you're a temporary resident visa holder, you need a current and valid work permit to travel to other countries and return to Canada.

You can apply for a permanent residency (landed immigrant) status if you have an ongoing appointment at UBC.

Common ways of doing this include:

• BC provincial nominee program: We support tenure-stream faculty when your academic unit "nominates" you to stay and work in Canada.
• Express entry: A points-based application system used to apply for permanent residency. UBC faculty members usually choose one of the following options: Applying as a federal skilled worker, based on education, work experience and other set criteria, or; Applying as Canadian experience class, for those with one year of recent Canadian work experience.

Family sponsorship: If you're a permanent resident, you're entitled to sponsor parents and grandparents to join you in Canada. Find information on this process on the IRCC website.​​​

You can apply for citizenship after being present in Canada as a permanent resident for a specified amount of time.

Work with your hiring department at UBC to complete these steps:

1. Acceptance and signing of your offer of employment/appointment (from your hiring department)
2. Submission of various documents (by your hiring department) to UBC's Human Resources department to begin the immigration process. They'll ask you for these documents.
3. Temporary work permit offer from UBC, through either a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or under a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemption.
4. Application for a work permit (by you), once the LMIA is approved or eligibility for an LMIA exemption is confirmed. You may need to apply for a temporary resident visa before being permitted to work.
   It's your responsibility to contact Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to apply for your work permit and to get any required visas or medical examinations. Citizens of certain countries also need a temporary resident visa (TRV) or electronic travel authorization (eTA).  Find out if you need a visa.
5. Begin arrangements for your move to Canada.
6. You'll receive a letter or email from IRCC once the work permit has been granted. Your work permit will be issued at the border upon your arrival in Canada, so be sure to have the following documentation available for inspection: Letter of offer of employment from UBC, passports, temporary resident visa (if applicable), travel documents (airline tickets, etc.), any family documentation (marriage, birth certificates).