Applying for a Work Permit before coming to Canada. 

This is the process where you have a job to come to and you apply for a work permit.  The work permit will be valid for 2 years, covers only the particular job and enables you and your family to move to Canada.

To come on a work permit has advantages and disadvantages.  The downside is that you are a temporary resident and restricted to the job for which you have the visa.  The advantages are that it is much quicker since the processing time is approximately 6 months and if you have a job, you can apply for the Nova Scotia Nominee Program (see Permanent Residency page) which considerably speeds up the Permanent Residency process. 

Process for applying for work permit

You apply for jobs with Canadian employers and once you have found one who will employ you, they have to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO).  It is only the employer who can apply for this and not the potential employee.  The employer applies to Service Canada to prove that they have advertised sufficiently and there has been no suitable Canadian candidate.  Once it has been proved that all avenues have been exhausted, Service Canada will issue you with an LMO.  This process can take months and they can refuse to grant it. You will not get a work permit without one.

Armed with your LMO, you apply for a Work Permit from the Canadian High Commission.  You will also need to apply for study permits if you have school age children.  Some people do not apply for these and have never been asked.  The choice is yours. We worked on the principle that they do not cost a great deal and better to have everything in order.

Once you have your work permit, you can move to Canada.  A good piece of advice I received is that the partner who does not have a work permit can apply for an open work permit either when applying to London or at the point of entry ie Halifax airport.  This is a good idea since both of you then have the ability to work here.