The partner at home

If you moved for your partner’s job, the first year can be harder for you than for them. Whether you can work depends on your own permit, and the rules for partners were tightened in January 2025.

Can you work?

Your right to work depends on your own permit, not your partner’s. Coming in as a visitor doesn’t give you the right to work. To work for any employer you usually need an open work permit of your own, and it normally ends when your partner’s permit does.

The TEER is the training, education, experience and responsibilities level of the job in Canada’s National Occupational Classification (NOC). Your partner’s employer or job offer should say which NOC code applies. Rules have continued to change since 2025, and there are other routes, for example when your partner has applied for permanent residence. Check the current rules on IRCC’s open work permit for spouses page, or ask a regulated immigration consultant (RCIC) or lawyer See Which Canadian visa or permit do I need? and How do we get permanent residence?

Children

Since January 2025, dependent children of work permit holders can’t get open work permits. A teenager who wants a part-time job needs to qualify for a permit of their own. For school places, see How do schools work in Canada?

No work, no EI

Employment Insurance is Canada’s version of Jobseeker’s Allowance, but it is insurance: you only qualify after enough insured work in Canada, usually 420 to 700 hours in the last 52 weeks depending on where you live. UK work doesn’t count. So while one of you isn’t working, there is no benefit to fall back on. Agree how money and big decisions will work, and keep a cash cushion: use the moving fund calculator.

Free settlement services and language classes

IRCC-funded settlement agencies offer free help with job searching, CVs, networking and language classes. Permanent residents can use nearly all of them. Most temporary residents can use only services funded by provinces or cities, so ask each agency directly. In Quebec, the provincial government offers free French courses to anyone aged 16 or over living in Quebec, with day, evening and weekend classes of 6 to 20 hours a week, and financial help for some learners. French makes a big difference to work and daily life there.

Getting your skills recognised

Many jobs, such as nursing, teaching, engineering, accountancy and the trades, need provincial registration or a licence even when your permit lets you work. Start early, while UK employers and universities are easy to reach. See Will my UK qualifications be recognised? and How do I get a job in Canada?

• Get references, transcripts and certified copies of certificates before you leave
• Volunteering or a short local course can give you a Canadian reference
• If you plan to freelance, check what your permit allows first: see Can I freelance or start a business?

Building a routine

1. Fix two or three regular commitments in your first fortnight: a class, a sports league, a volunteering shift
2. Take over one settling-in project, such as the house hunt or schools research, and meet people through it
3. Plan for winter: indoor activities, a gym or a skating club keep you out of the house
4. Review how you feel after 3 and 6 months, together