Finding Work

Before you start

People looking for work in Canada. Work authorization, professional licensing and employer hiring decisions are separate issues.

• Identify the job title you want and the province where you want to work. The same occupation may have different regulatory requirements across provinces.
• Gather your work history, training and examples of relevant skills. Before ordering translations or assessments, ask the employer or regulator what it actually needs.
• Prepare a résumé for the role and a way to track applications. A settlement or employment service can help you explain experience gained outside Canada without inventing Canadian experience.

Program rules: Government of Canada (Job Bank). Preparation questions are suggestions, not extra eligibility requirements.

Steps

1. Search the Government of Canada Job Bank

   Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca) is the federal government’s free job board and includes a section for newcomers already in Canada. You can search by occupation, city, and wage, and find career-planning tools.
2. Check your occupation before paying for an assessment

   Use Job Bank’s Foreign Credential Recognition Tool to see whether your occupation is regulated in your province. Ask the regulator or prospective employer which assessment it accepts before paying. An immigration Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) is not a professional licence and is not required for every job.
3. Visit a free settlement or employment agency

   IRCC’s service finder lists funded providers outside Quebec. Ask the provider to confirm eligibility: the finder flags time limits for economic-class permanent residents starting April 1, 2026. Provincial and community services may have different access rules. Quebec has separate services.
4. Build a Canadian-style résumé

   Canadian résumés are usually 1–2 pages, do not include a photo, age, or marital status, and use reverse-chronological work history. Settlement agencies and many libraries offer free résumé help.
5. Consider language training for work

   If English or French is not your first language, advanced or job-specific language classes (often under LINC) can help you communicate at work. Ask a settlement agency for a referral and assessment.

What to expect—and where people get stuck

Job Bank offers free job-search and career tools. Its credential-recognition tool can identify the regulator, assessment steps and possible related occupations. A credential assessment does not promise employment.

Some Job Bank features use a Plus account. Follow the official account requirements rather than sending personal identification to a recruiter claiming to create it for you.

Settlement-service access is not identical for every newcomer. Ask about current eligibility and alternatives if federal support is not available to you. A referral or job advertisement does not guarantee a job.