Work in Canada Spain

Work in Canada Spain

Spain is a country in the Iberian Peninsula of southwestern Europe with the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, and the autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta in Africa. The country borders France, Andorra, and Portugal. Spain is the second-biggest country in the EU, with a total area of 505,990 km2. It is also the fourth-most populous EU member state, with a population of over 47.4 million residents. The capital and the biggest city of Spain is Madrid. Other major urban areas are Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Spanish literature, music, art, and cuisine influence a worldwide culture, especially in Western Europe and the Americas. As a result, Spain has 49 World Heritage Sites and is the second-most visited country in the world. Spanish is the world’s second-most spoken native language since its cultural influence extends to over 570 million Hispanophones.

Spain is an advanced country with a mixed economy. The fundamental areas of the country’s economic activity are medical technology, the automotive industry, shipbuilding, chemicals, the textile industry, and tourism. Spain is a member of the European Union, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Eurozone, the Council of Europe (CoE), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations.

Still, residents of Spain prefer to live and work in Canada. According to recent census data, about 397,000 Canadians have full or partial Spanish heritage. They live in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. Hence, there are several options to work in Canada.

IEC Programs

The International Experience Canada is one of the most popular programs among citizens of Spain who want to work in Canada. It has three streams to meet the needs of all applicants. 

The first stream is the Working Holiday, under which foreign residents can live and work in Canada for up to a year. The second stream, the Young Professionals, allows post-secondary graduates from Spain to work in Canada and further their careers for up to one year. The third stream is the International Co-op. It is designed for citizens of Spain who study at post-secondary educational institutions in their home country and want to complete an internship in Canada for up to a year.

To work in Canada under the International Experience Canada, foreigners ought to meet the following requirements.

1. They must be Spanish residents. Applicants can prove their citizenship by providing their residential or mailing address in Spain.
2. They need to have a valid Spanish passport for the duration of their stay in Canada. The permit to work in Canada cannot be valid longer than the passport.
3. Citizens of Spain should be 18 to 35 years old inclusively.
4. Applicants ought to have at least 2,500 CAD to cover their expenses in Canada.
5. They need to have health insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada.
6. Residents of Spain must be admissible to Canada.
7. Applicants should have a round-trip ticket or demonstrate they have the financial resources to buy a departure ticket at the end of the authorized stay in Canada.
8. Dependants cannot accompany them.
9. All applicants ought to pay the application fee of 161 CAD. Those who want to work in Canada under the Working Holiday stream also need to pay the open work permit fee of 100 CAD.
10. Citizens of France who apply to the Young Professionals stream should have a signed contract of employment in Canada. It must be in the applicant’s field of expertise and contribute to their professional development.
11. Foreigners who apply to the International Co-op program need to be registered students at post-secondary institutions in Spain. Also, they ought to have a signed contract for a work placement or an internship in Canada.

Residents of Spain can work in Canada under the IEC twice and must choose a different category each time. Also, there ought to be a three-month break between the expiry date of the first Canadian work permit under the IEC and the submission date of the second IEC work permit application.

Job Offer with LMIA

The other option to work in Canada is to get a job offer from an eligible employer under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). A job offer has the details of the offered position, such as job duties, conditions of employment, and salary.

To hire a citizen of Spain, Canadian employers must get the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). They need to prove that they have advertised the job within Canada, but local workers are not available to fill the position. When the employer gets government approval, they ought to send a copy of the LMIA to the potential worker.

Foreigners cannot work in Canada without a work permit. Thus, citizens of Spain ought to apply for a permit, providing a job offer letter, an employment contract, and a copy of the LMIA. The work permit application fee is 155 CAD. The work permit processing time for residents of Spain is ten weeks.

Expats

Expats are those who live and work abroad but have the intention to return home later. According to the latest data, there are about 10,000 expats from Spain who work in Canada. They value work-life balance and business culture in the country.

Canada has a strong growing economy. Thus, the business sector faces a lack of qualified and skilled professionals in the industrial, agricultural, construction, information technology, and health sectors. Employers hire a considerable number of entry-level to experienced expats from Spain to close the gap between demand and supply in the labour market.

The Canadian dollar is strong, and expats who work in Canada can have higher salaries than in the USA and UK. The highest-paid business sectors are oil and gas drilling, telecommunications, and mining. Citizens of Spain who want to work in Canada can find a job through the Job Bank.

Post-Graduation Work Permit

There are about 20,000 international students from France who choose Canada as their study destination. One of the reasons is the possibility of getting a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). International students from France who want to work in Canada under the PGWP ought to complete at least a two-year full-time study program at an eligible public post-secondary educational institution.

Students can work in Canada under the PGWP for up to three years. Still, the actual length of the PGWP depends on the length of their Canadian educational program. At the time of application to the PGWP, international students ought to submit an official transcript and a letter from their school confirming the completion of the program of study.

Spouse Open Work Permit

An open work permit is a type of work permit that allows residents of Spain to work in Canada for any employer. Nevertheless, only specific categories of foreigners can obtain open work permits. Among them are spouses of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, temporary foreign workers, and international students.

Spouses of Canadian citizens and permanent residents can work in Canada if they meet the eligibility requirements of the Inland Sponsorship program and submit an open work permit application along with the sponsorship application package.

Residents of Spain may also obtain an open work permit if their spouses are temporary foreign workers who work in Canada under NOC (National Occupational Classification) Skill Level 0, A or B for at least six months.

Spouses of full-time international students who have a valid study permit and study at a public post-secondary school can also qualify for an open work permit. Citizens of Spain can also work in Canada under open work permits if their spouses have a post-graduation work permit. The duration of the open work permit corresponds with the validity period of the PGWP.

 

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