Foreign Representatives and Their Family Members May Work Without Work Permit in Canada

Last Updated on March 23, 2021

A person may enter Canada without a work permit if he/she is employed as a foreign representative. Workers under this category must:

• Be accredited as a foreign representative by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).
• Be entering Canada to carry out official duties as a:
  • Diplomatic agent or;
  • Consular officer or;
  • Representative or official of a country other than Canada or;
  • Representative or official of the United Nations or;
  • Representative or official of a United Nations agency or;
  • Representative or official of an international organization of which Canada is a member.

Family members of the foreign representatives above will normally be able to work in Canada without a work permit as long as they are issued a “no-objection letter” by the DFATD.

Non-accredited employees of international organizations such as the UN who are entering Canada to work at meetings or attend a special assembly also do not need work permits.

In certain cases, domestic workers for high-level members of a diplomatic mission, consular post or international organization will be permitted to work in Canada without a work permit. In order to do so, however, the domestic workers must be approved by the DFATD.