Can I change jobs in Canada?

For a permanent resident, changing jobs in Canada is just notice and paperwork. On a work permit, it depends on the type of permit: an open permit lets you move freely, but an employer-specific one names your employer, and you need new permission before you start anywhere else.

Start with your work permit

Look at your permit document itself: the employer, occupation and conditions are printed on it. If you’re not sure which type you hold, check before you resign. See which permit you need.

Moving on an employer-specific permit

1. The new employer gets the paperwork in place: usually a positive LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada, or an offer under an LMIA-exempt route
2. You apply for a new employer-specific permit, from inside Canada, while your current permit is still valid
3. You then ask IRCC, under its public policy for workers changing jobs, for permission to start the new job while your application is processed
4. Wait for IRCC’s email confirming you can start. It usually comes within 10 to 15 days. Don’t start the new job before it arrives
5. Agree your last day with your current employer only once you know when you can start

To use the policy you must be in Canada with valid status (including maintained status), have applied for a new work permit or extension, and have been allowed to work when you applied. IRCC extended it on 27 May 2025 with no end date, but it can be withdrawn. Check the policy is still open on IRCC’s website Your partner’s and children’s permits may depend on yours, so plan as a household.

Maintained status

If you apply to extend your permit before it expires, you have maintained status. You can stay, and keep working on the same conditions, until IRCC decides.

• Apply in good time. If your permit expires before you apply, you can’t work until your status is restored, and you generally have only 90 days to apply for that
• If you’re switching to a different kind of permit, such as from a work permit to a study permit, you must stop working on the day your work permit expires
• Maintained status lasts only while you’re in Canada. If you travel, you may be let back in as a visitor and be unable to work until IRCC decides

If you studied in Canada: the PGWP

The post-graduation work permit is an open permit, so you can change job freely. Its length generally matches your programme, up to 3 years, and you must apply within 180 days of finishing. If you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024, you also need to meet a language level: CLB 7 for university degrees and CLB 5 for most college programmes. Check current PGWP rules with IRCC

Notice, probation and your last pay

Many Canadian contracts start with a probation period. Under employment standards law, an employer owes you no notice in your first 3 months in Ontario or BC.

The law in BC doesn’t make you give notice when you quit, though employers expect it. Your contract may set a notice period, so check it. Quitting can affect whether you can get Employment Insurance. See your rights at work.

Non-compete clauses

In Ontario, employers have been banned from making employees sign non-compete agreements since 25 October 2021, before, during or after employment. A clause stopping you from working for a competitor, for any period or within any distance, is caught. There are two exceptions: when someone sells a business and becomes the buyer’s employee, and for some executives. Elsewhere, get legal advice before you accept a new job if your contract has one.

Your Record of Employment

When your pay stops, your employer must file a Record of Employment (ROE) with Service Canada. It shows your insurable hours and earnings, and it’s what Service Canada uses for Employment Insurance. Most are filed electronically, and you can see yours in your My Service Canada Account. If your employer files on paper, it must give you a copy within 5 days of your last pay.