Charitable or religious work options in Canada are excellent for those foreign nationals who seek to arrive in Canada and work for related organizations.
A streamlined work authorization procedure may be available to foreign nationals who are moving to Canada to work for charitable or religious organizations.
This procedure might involve exempting the work permit from the labor market test requirement. In certain situations, it might involve completely exempting the foreign national from the work permit.
Charitable or religious work options in Canada
The three main factors that affect a foreign national’s capacity to work in Canada for a charitable or religious organization are as follows:
What is it that you seek: work or volunteering?
The initial differentiation that needs consideration here is between “work” that is really done and “volunteering,” which does not call for a Canadian work visa. “work” usually refers to a full-time activity repaid with consistent and cyclical wages. Conversely, volunteering typically entails giving up free time to participate in an activity without expecting payment. Such acts include assisting a specific political party or spreading awareness of a particular topic. In such circumstances, the foreign national does not appear to be joining the Canadian labor market. Further, it necessitates the need for a work permit.
Do you need to conduct an LMIA?
Once it is evident that “work” is in progress, it is necessary to evaluate further considerations to decide whether a Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption is essential in a given situation. Moreover, the Canadian government uses the LMIA to determine if the arrival of a foreign worker may have a positive, negative, or neutral impact on Canadian workers.
To determine if an LMIA is necessary in this situation, it is necessary to ascertain the nature of the organization. It must be charitable or religious, implying it must be non-profit. Besides this, its core objective must be alleviating poverty, advancing certain important community interests, or benefiting educational or religious institutions. These are vital to be eligible for the LMIA-exempt work permit. Although it is not a requirement, it does help to make this assessment if the organization is an acknowledged charity.
Charitable or religious work options in Canada-determining the nature of the task
It is necessary to evaluate the nature of the task after the organization’s fundamental issue has been handled. For a foreign national to gain eligibility for the LMIA exemption, employment with a qualifying organization is not compulsory. Moreover, the foreign national’s employment must indeed qualify as philanthropic or religious work to do so. For this, a few aspects are vital, including the following:
- whether the work done by the foreign national advances the philanthropic or religious mission of the organization.
- Additionally, whether the organization will gain financially from the foreign individual’s labor.
- The likelihood that the work falls under the charity or religious category increases with how closely it aligns with the organization’s stated goals. Also, how little compensation will the organization receive due to the worker’s efforts?
Work Authorization for Clergy
Foreign nationals who fall under the category of “clergy” don’t require any work permits in order to practice religion in Canada. This exception only applies to visitors who are there to partake in customary religious activities like doctrine-preaching or leading public worship.
Working for a religious organization, such as a church or synagogue, may signify that you do religious work. However, it isn’t a sign of assurance by any means. A work permit would be necessary if the work doesn’t align with the religion in question. For instance, if the employee is doing bookkeeping or accounting work.
Even while a work permit is not vital for people who fall within the precise definition of a religious worker, the foreign national might want to apply for their convenience.
The ability to grant their spouse the ability to file for an open work permit so they can accompany them to Canada and work legally are two instances.
- The first is to avoid having to often prolong the six months stay allotted to temporary visa holders if they will be staying longer than this.
- Under exemption code C-50, the work permit that the religious worker would be requested in such circumstances is exempt from LMIA.
