The provincial flag of British Columbia

We know some great immigration lawyers here in Whistler, and I tapped their expert knowledge to put together this quick guide outlining the five routes available to foreign workers who want to come to Whistler, BC.

To see if PayrollHero is what you’re looking for take a look at our careers posting, here.

Visa and immigration options

1. Working Holiday Visa (WHV) – Working holidays visas are a great way for young people to get a temporary work permit for Canada. If you would like to be part of our Engineer in Residence program, this would be the best option as WHV’s are genrally easier to get.

• How to apply: Each country has a different application process for Canadian WHV’s, so you will need to apply through the appropriate government program for your home country. A quick Google will help you find your native WHV program.

• Restrictions: There are a limited number of WHV’s available, per country, per year and most have upper age restrictions. They are usually limited to a 1-2 year stay per WHV and there is also a limit on the number of consecutive WHV’s you can have.

2. Temporary Work Permit – Normally you have to apply for work permits outside of Canada, from your country of residence, but under some circumstances you can apply once in Canada. A work permit is a temporary visa allowing you to work in Canada and you must have a confirmed job offer in order to apply.

• How to apply: If a work permit is the right route, we will apply for this with advice of our immigration lawyer.

• Restrictions: The Human Resources and Skills Development of Canada may require that we do a Labor Market Opinion (LMO) survey to determine that there are no local workers that are right for the job, and that the best option is to bring in a foreign worker.

3. BC Provincial Nomination – To be accepted to the BC PNP program applicants must have a permanent, full-time job offer that is on the Strategic Occupations list. The BC PNP is considered to be a fast-track option to permanent residency.

• How to apply: This will also be done with our immigration lawyers, as eligibility for the BC PNP depends on many criteria.

• Restrictions: We may be required to do an LMO (see Temporary Work Permit, above). Permanent residents are required to live in Canada for two out of every five years, or they risk forfeiting their status.

4. Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program – On the FSW program workers are selected to enter Canada as permanent residents based on their skills, education, knowledge of English or French and work experience. This is usually applied for if you are not currently living in Canada.

• How to apply: If appropriate, this will be done with our immigration lawyers as there are lots of hoops to jump through.

• Restrictions: Applicants must have proof of enough funds to support themselves and their dependents when they arrive in Canada. Your work experience must be on the Canadian National Occupational Classification list to be considered for this route of application.

5. Canadian Experience Class (CEC) –  The CIC is open to people who are currently living and working in Canada and would like to become permanent residents, but do not want to be ‘sponsored’ by their current employer.

• Application for the CEC program: This will be done with our immigration lawyers as they will have to determine your eligibility and if this is the best route to take.

• Restrictions: Applicants must have at least one years work experience in Canada and have to take an English speaking and listening test.

Overwhelmed by all the information or stoked to get started?

If you come to work with us, we will let the immigration lawyers guide us down the right path to get the best people on our team.

You can apply to join the PayrollHero Dev team by sending us a (not-so-typical) resume that best represents your personality and your skills, to support[at]payrollhero.com