How To Find a Job in Canada as a Foreigner

Toronto, Canada Skyline

Toronto, Canada Skyline

Canada is located in North America. The official languages are French and English.

The cool thing about Canada is its Federal Skilled Worker Program, which is an initiative run by the Government of Canada that enables workers in high-demand occupations to apply for permanent residence. The most in-demand occupations now are in the technology industry, so if you’re a software engineering or IT professional, you have a better chance of getting on the fast track to starting a life in Canada.

Regardless of where you’re interested in living — Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary, etc. — you should find a job first. Below is a selection of resources I’ve compiled that are useful for searching for employment opportunities as a foreigner.

General Job Search Engines and Classifieds

With the sites below, you can expect to get a 0.5 to 1.0% response rate (people who will respond back to you to whom you sent your application/CV.) Nevertheless, I encourage you to give these sites a try as you never know what you will come up with or what connections you can make from a simple e-mail or application.

  • Indeed: The sister to the big U.S. job search site Indeed.com. In order to find jobs that are willing to sponsor visas, I recommend you type “visa sponsorship” in the search bar. Most jobs will not sponsor visas, so you will need to go through each search result, one-by-one.
  • Eluta: I have seen visa sponsorship opportunities at Eluta, particularly in the tech industry. Type “visa sponsorship” in the search bar.
  • Government of CanadaThe Government of Canada has useful links for finding jobs in Canada.
  • Canadian Immigrant: Good tips for trying to find a job in Canada as a foreigner.
  • Monster.com: Monster.com has been around since pretty much the dawn of the internet era.
  • Job Bank: I like the enhanced job alert service.

Other Websites and Blogs

  • SidekickA useful how-to guide for finding a job in Canada as a foreigner.
  • Government Publications and ManualsEssential workbooks for newcomers to Canada. Many of them are outdated, but the advice is timeless and still relevant.
  • Transitions AbroadTransitions Abroad has a really comprehensive list for anyone considering becoming an expatriate in Canada.

Overseas and Expat Job Portals

  • Michael PageAn international executive recruitment website that I’ve used in the past. This site is targeted towards high-end job seekers.
  • eFinancialCareersMy favorite search engine for finance jobs on the web. I used them during my Wall Street days.
  • Go Abroad: I’ve always been a fan of GoAbroad. In fact, on the visa information portion of my website, you will find where I have linked to their global embassies directory. They have a good job portal too.
  • Linkedin: Last but not least, this huge professional social network is a resource for building contacts in the field and location of your interest.

There you have it. The best places to find jobs in Canada as a foreigner. For information on visas for Canada, be sure to check out my Canada visa page. If you are looking to spice up your dating life, check out my post on the best online dating sites in Canada.

Further Reading

About Addison Sears-Collins

Hey! I'm Addison Sears-Collins, the founder of Visa Hunter. You can learn more about me here. Connect with me by liking my fan page on Facebook, connecting with me on Twitter, or check out my website Automatic Addison where I build robots and embedded systems.

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