Canada Working Visa from Nepal: How to Apply for an Open Work Permit

What Is a Canada Working Visa from Nepal?

A Canada working visa from Nepal is really a work permit, and it comes in 2 types: employer-specific and open.

People in Nepal often say “work visa”, but Canada’s immigration office, IRCC, uses the words “work permit”. The permit lets you work. A visitor visa lets you travel to Canada, and IRCC gives you that with an approved permit if you need one. This guide sits under our main page on study in Canada from Nepal.

IRCC says the employer-specific permit is the most common type. Its short online questions also tell you which permit fits you, so start there.

Can You Get an Open Work Permit from Nepal Without a Job Offer?

Yes, but only in certain situations, because IRCC says most people applying from outside Canada can’t get one.

This is the point many people miss. You can’t apply just because you want to work in Canada. IRCC’s open work permit page says eligibility is limited, and that most applicants apply from inside Canada.

Here is how the 6 main groups look for someone from Nepal:

Can Your Spouse Get an Open Work Permit If You Study in Canada?

Yes, if you hold a valid study permit and study in a program that IRCC lists.

These rules started on 21 January 2025. IRCC’s page for students’ spouses lists them:

• A master’s degree in Canada of 16 months or longer
• A doctoral degree
• A degree in dental, law, medical, eye care, pharmacy or animal care fields that IRCC names
• A bachelor’s degree in nursing, education or engineering
• A few named programs, such as a French student pilot and some health bridging courses

Most college diplomas and other bachelor’s degrees aren’t on this list. A post graduate diploma in Canada is one example. So if your spouse needs this permit, check the list before you pick a course.

Your spouse’s permit usually lasts as long as your study permit. Your spouse sends your school letter or transcripts, plus proof of your relationship. Our Canada dependent visa guide covers the family rules in more detail. If you apply together, also read the proof of funds guide.

Can Your Spouse Apply from Nepal If You Work in Canada?

Your spouse may qualify if your job level and the time left on your permit match IRCC’s rules.

Canada gives each job a TEER level from 0 to 5. A lower number usually means the job needs more training. You can find your job’s code and TEER level on IRCC’s site. Then compare it with IRCC’s rules for workers’ family members:

The time is counted from the day IRCC receives your family member’s application. Some pilots and Quebec health programs have their own rules. A student working off campus without a work permit doesn’t count as a worker here.

Can You Get a Canada Work Visa from Nepal with a Job Offer?

Yes, you can apply for an employer-specific work permit if a real employer in Canada offers you a job.

Most jobs need a labour market impact assessment, or LMIA. This paper proves the employer needs to hire a foreign worker. Your employer applies for it and gives you the LMIA letter.

Some jobs don’t need one, and your employer gives you an offer of employment number instead. IRCC explains both, and you can look for jobs on Job Bank for foreign candidates. The IRCC fee for this permit is CAD 155.

Please be careful with job offers from agents. IRCC warns that no one can promise you a job or a visa. It also warns about websites that offer high-paying jobs for a fee. Canada’s employment department says employers can’t make you pay to get or keep your job.

Before you pay anyone for immigration advice, check that they hold a licence. IRCC requires a paid representative to be licensed, and this covers consultants too.

How Do You Apply for a Canada Work Visa from Nepal?

You apply online through an IRCC account, then give biometrics and wait for a decision.

This is the order on IRCC’s page for applying from outside Canada:

1. Check your permit type. Use the IRCC questions above, and make sure you fit a listed group.
2. Sign in to your IRCC account. IRCC expects most people to apply online. Paper is only for a few cases, such as a disability that stops you applying online.
3. Answer the questions. You get a document list made for you. Spouses choose the option for a family member of a worker or student.
4. Fill in the form and upload your papers. Use a scanner or a phone camera. Convert any Bikram Sambat dates with our Nepali date converter. The form asks for your address, and our Nepal postal code finder helps with that.
5. Pay the fees by card. The card doesn’t need to be in your name.
6. Give biometrics in Nepal. Wait for your instruction letter, then book as soon as you can.
7. Do a medical exam in Nepal if you need one. Only use a panel physician approved by IRCC.
8. Wait for a decision. Answer any request from IRCC quickly.

You need a medical exam if you will work in a job that protects public health, such as health care, a school or child care. You also need one for a stay over 6 months if you recently spent 6 months in a row in a country on IRCC’s list. Your document list will show what IRCC wants from you.

What Documents Do You Need for an Open Work Permit from Nepal?

Everyone needs the main form, a passport copy and a photo, and the rest depends on your group.

IRCC’s account gives you a personal list, so follow that first. IRCC’s forms page and the family rules above give this general picture:

If the portal asks an open work permit applicant for job papers, upload a blank page marked “Not applicable”. An employer-specific file is different. It needs a CV, an experience letter, proof of past work and the job contract.

How Much Does a Canada Open Work Permit Cost from Nepal?

The IRCC fee is CAD 255, or CAD 340 with biometrics for one person.

These amounts come from IRCC’s fee list:

So CAD 340 is about Rs 36 thousand. Check today’s value on our CAD to Rs forex converter. An employer-specific permit doesn’t have the CAD 100 fee. The medical exam, translations and travel cost extra.

You also need enough money for yourself, your family and the trip home. IRCC doesn’t set one figure for this. It depends on your family size, the place you will live and your permit program.

How Long Does It Take, and Why Does IRCC Refuse Work Permits?

IRCC’s waiting time changes often, so check its page, and common refusal reasons include missing papers and weak ties to Nepal.

We don’t give a fixed time here, because IRCC’s processing times page changes often. An officer first checks that your file is complete. IRCC says an incomplete file is refused without further processing. The officer may then ask for an interview, a medical exam or more papers.

These are 5 common reasons that IRCC lists for a refusal:

• You don’t meet the rules for your permit type.
• Your ties to Nepal look weak.
• You don’t have enough money.
• Your file is incomplete, or your answers aren’t true.
• The job offer doesn’t look real, or your skills aren’t proven.

You can usually apply again unless your letter says otherwise. It only helps if you add something new that answers the refusal reason.

What Happens After Approval and at the Canadian Border?

You get a letter first, and the officer at the border prints your actual work permit.

This letter is called a port of entry letter of introduction, and it is not your permit. You also get a visitor visa if you need one. Bring these to the border:

• Your passport, valid for longer than your planned stay
• Your visitor visa and the letter of introduction
• Your medical results, if you needed an exam
• Your job papers, if you have an employer-specific permit

The officer makes the final decision. Read your permit before you leave the border, and ask about any mistake right away.

Your next step is a Social Insurance Number, which you need for work in Canada. For temporary residents, it starts with 9 and ends with your immigration papers.

IRCC also says to have provincial cover or money for medical care. Our guide to health insurance in Canada explains the basics, though it is written for students. A permit can’t last longer than your passport or biometrics, so check those dates too.

Where Can You Work on an Open Work Permit in Canada?

You can work for almost any employer, apart from 2 groups that IRCC bans.

The banned groups are employers on the non-compliant employers list and businesses that regularly offer striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages. You can change jobs without a new permit, because your permit isn’t tied to one job.

Your permit can still carry limits, so read it carefully. Without a medical exam, it may stop you from working in health care, schools or child care. Some permits also limit you to one province. You must follow whatever is printed on it, and you must leave or apply to extend before it ends.

What Can You Do If You Don’t Qualify for a Work Permit?

Many Nepali students build a work route by studying in Canada first.

As a student, you can work up to 24 hours a week off campus while classes are on. Our page on student work hours in Canada explains this. After you finish an eligible program, you can apply for the PGWP. That time can also help with PR pathways through education, though nothing is automatic.

Start with the Canada student visa requirements and your IELTS or PTE score. If you are comparing advisers, see how to pick the best consultancy for Canada. Goreto has branches in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara, and you can talk to a counselor about a study plan that fits your family.