Workshop - Work Permit to PR, The Canadian Roadmap

Join us on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. EST for a 90 minute, practitioner focused workshop that demystifies how temporary foreign workers and recent international graduates can move from a Canadian work permit to permanent residency. You will leave with a clear understanding of when a labour market impact assessment is required, where exemptions apply, how National Occupational Classification codes drive eligibility, and how federal and provincial programs differ across regions.

We start with the fundamentals of work authorization in Canada. You will learn what a work permit is, when and why employers must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and what the LMIA process looks like in practice. We also review key LMIA exemptions that affect many clients, including the Post Graduation Work Permit for eligible international students.

Next, we make the NOC system usable. Every occupation in Canada is categorized under an NOC code. Most immigration pathways depend on that code, the job offer, and the candidate’s actual work experience. You will learn how to align a client’s duties with the correct code, and how that mapping shapes program choice and strategy.

We then connect temporary status to permanent residency. You will get an overview of the main economic programs at the federal level, including streams that apply Canada wide outside Quebec, streams that are Quebec specific, and options that target certain regions. We will also survey provincial and territorial nominee programs across Canada, including how many provinces run multiple sub programs that target different worker groups like high or lower skilled roles, in demand occupations, healthcare, STEM, construction, and hospitality. You will learn how regional rules and priorities can change the best pathway for the same profile.

Throughout the session we emphasize strategy over one size fits all advice. A mechanic role in Sudbury may be a strong fit for one pathway while the same role in Vancouver may not. A registered nurse offer in Vancouver may unlock options that a similar job in the Yukon does not. A graduate from a Manitoba university may qualify for a provincial nomination after six months in Winnipeg, while a graduate with the same job and experience who studied in Toronto may not. You will learn to evaluate each case on its facts and to factor in location, occupation, NOC alignment, and timing.

We will also walk through the core variables that affect outcomes. Education, English and French language ability, marital status, Canadian and foreign work experience, where that experience was gained, the details of the job offer, the location of the employer, age, hourly wage, ties to other provinces, and how these elements combined can raise or lower eligibility. You will learn how to weigh these inputs and set realistic strategies and timelines with clients.

Who should attend. Career professionals, employment consultants, HR partners, and community service providers who support temporary foreign workers and international graduates and who need a grounded, region aware understanding of Canadian pathways from work permit to permanent residency.

By the end, you will be able to explain the basics of work permits and LMIAs in plain language, map occupations to NOC codes with confidence, distinguish among the major federal and provincial PR options, and coach clients on region specific strategies that reflect their goals and constraints.

Expert Speaker

Nicole Kleemaier-Raaijen, LLM, RCIC, received her master ’s degree in Dutch notarial law in 1993 from Leiden University in the Netherlands. Having spent her final year on an Erasmus Mundus scholarship at Heidelberg University in Germany, Nicole accepted a position in the Netherlands as Junior Prospective Civil-Law Notary near Enschede. In 1996, she was accepted to a mid-sized notarial law firm near Waalwijk, working her way up in the firm to become a Senior Prospective Civil-Law Notary and Interim Deputy. During her 9-year career in the Netherlands, she completed several courses in post-graduate training, including Legal English for Dutch Notaries, New Dutch Law of Inheritance, Dutch Rent Law, Dutch Tax Law, and Dutch Alimony Law.

In 2002, Nicole and her spouse Robert (they had met at Heidelberg University) took the step of moving their young family from the Netherlands to Canada (Robert’s home country) where they began their own translation agency in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia. Nicole spent most of the next 11 years in the role of Senior Editor of their first business, while at the same time placing high priority on raising their young children.

In the fall of 2012 Nicole took up a new challenge in her professional life, enrolling in a post-graduate program to become a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant. She passed this course in May 2013 as well as the Full Skills Exam the following August. Nicole was then granted membership in the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants in September 2013 (membership no. R509726).

Today, Nicole and Robert form the backbone of Red Moose. Nicole works as a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, while Robert handles all translation requests and provides his clients with resumes for the Canadian market.