Which Canadian visa or permit do I need?

A British passport lets you visit Canada, but not live or work there. To move you need a work permit or permanent residence (PR), and Canada is admitting fewer temporary residents from 2026, so the route you pick matters.

The main routes at a glance

Visiting first

As a British citizen you don’t need a visa to visit, but you need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to fly to Canada. It costs C$7, is usually approved within minutes and lasts up to 5 years or until your passport expires. Apply only on the official Canada.ca site; other sites charge extra. You can usually stay up to 6 months a visit, but you can’t work.

Work permits

• Employer-specific, with an LMIA. Your employer first shows Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that no Canadian could fill the job. The employer pays C$1,000 per position and can’t pass this on to you. A positive LMIA now lasts only 6 months, and low-wage LMIAs are refused in cities with unemployment of 6% or more
• LMIA-exempt. Intra-company transferees (managers, executives and specialist staff moved by the same company) skip the LMIA. CUSMA professional permits are for US and Mexican citizens only, not Brits
• Tied to one employer. An employer-specific permit names your employer and job. Changing jobs usually means a new permit. See Changing jobs in Canada

IEC Working Holiday for UK citizens

Since a 2023 UK–Canada arrangement, British citizens can apply up to age 35, not 30, and can stay up to 3 years in total across their participations. Most UK guides say that means up to 24 months the first time and up to 12 months the second.

• You create a profile in the pool and wait for an invitation. The UK quota for 2026 was about 9,330, and invitations ran ahead of it by spring
• Fees: a C$184.75 participation fee and a C$100 open work permit holder fee, plus C$85 biometrics if needed
• You must have health insurance for your whole stay. Your permit can be cut short to match your policy
• Young Professionals and International Co-op permits also exist; they need a job offer

Express Entry and provincial nomination

Express Entry manages three PR programmes: the Federal Skilled Worker Program (skilled work abroad, scored on a 67-point grid), the Canadian Experience Class (at least a year of skilled work in Canada) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. You make a profile and get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for age, English or French, education and experience. IRCC invites the highest scores in regular draws.

Many 2026 draws are by category. The ten 2026 categories are French-language proficiency, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, education, transport, and physicians, senior managers and researchers with Canadian work experience, plus skilled military recruits. A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Each province runs its own PNP streams, often for jobs it is short of. Quebec doesn’t use Express Entry or the PNP: it selects its own skilled workers, and you need its selection certificate (CSQ) before applying federally.

Fees in 2026

Medical exams, police certificates, English or French tests and credential assessments cost extra.

Partners, parents and retirees

• Partners of workers. Since 21 January 2025, a spouse or common-law partner can only get an open work permit if you work in a TEER 0 or 1 job, or certain TEER 2 or 3 jobs in shortage sectors, and have at least 16 months left on your permit. Dependent children no longer qualify. See The partner at home
• Partners of Canadians. A citizen or PR can sponsor a spouse, common-law or conjugal partner for PR
• Parents. New Parents and Grandparents Program sponsorships were paused in July 2026. The super visa still lets parents and grandparents visit for up to 5 years at a time, with at least C$100,000 of private medical insurance
• Retirees. Canada has no retirement visa. Without family to sponsor you or a job route, you can usually only visit

Fewer places from 2026, and getting help

The 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan holds PR admissions at 380,000 a year and cuts new temporary arrivals to 385,000 in 2026 and 370,000 in 2027 and 2028. In practice this means tighter rules for work permits and family permits. Processing times change weekly, so check IRCC’s processing times tool before you plan dates. Check live processing times on IRCC

You can apply yourself through your IRCC account. If you pay for help, use a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or a Canadian lawyer, and check their licence first. Nobody can promise a permit. See also Permanent residence and citizenship.