Work Authorization Check

A free, step-by-step check for Canadian employers with a worker on a work permit or a study permit.

Hiring a foreign national is not a one-time check at the offer stage. A permit names a company, a job and an end date, and a student's right to work changes with enrolment, scheduled breaks and the filing of the next application. An employer who keeps someone on the payroll past the point where the authorization ends is exposed regardless of intent.

This tool walks you through the documents in front of you. Answer each question from what the paper actually says, and you will reach one of three results — the work is clear to continue, the file needs review before the next pay period, or the work has to stop. Every result explains the rule in plain language and tells you what to do next, and you can copy or print a dated record of how you checked.

Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored. Close the page and it is gone.