FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE FROM GEORGIA, TEMPORARILY RESIDE IN CANADA (E.G. ON A STUDENT PERMIT) AND WANT TO GET YOUR WORK PERMIT FAST BASED ON THE APPROVED JOB OFFER:
As you know, it takes 42 to 89 days to change the status and get your Work Permit if you send your application to the CIC or if you apply online (see: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/temp.asp ). If you received a job offer and have a Labour Market Opinion, you can get the Work Permit in minutes at any Canadian-U.S. border checkpoint. This is despite the fact that Georgia is NOT one of the visa exempt countries. One requirement is, however, that your TRV (temporary resident visa that is affixed in your passport) must be still valid. It is better if it is multiple entry one. However, if you are a student, you can re-enter Canada from United States even on a previously used single entry TRV, as long as your Study Permit is valid (see here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=473&t=4 ).
The procedure of going across the Canadian-U.S. border just for the immigration purposes and coming in right back to Canada is commonly refered to as "flagpoling". I JUST SUCCESSFULLY FLAGPOLED AT THE CANADIAN-U.S. CHECKPOINT (Woodstock, New Brunswick).
One major point here - even though I am from Georgia and Georgia IS NOT a visa exempt country, this was not even a question and everything went well.
Another major point: Some people waiting for LMOs are confused about the waiting times. I had just received the LMO based on this job offer in Calgary, Alberta. It took just 10 days (including a weekend) from the day my future employer submitted the LMO application. You must know that there are two LMO streams/programs: (a)for temporary workers that plan to apply for a Work Permit - it only takes 7 to 14 days to get an LMO in this case; and (b)LMOs for "pre-arranged employment" on the basis of which one may apply for immigration to Canada - this takes much, much longer. Right now, as of April 19th, they are working on the applications received on March 4th; thus, average processing time for this LMO is 45 days. It may be substantially longer if there is a mistake or correction that needs to be made to the LMO application.
Back to my flagpoling experience. Here is what happened:
>I went to the U.S. side. When asked for the purpose, I said directly that I was just fulfilling Canadian immigration requirements. They asked me to go inside the building. Since I did not have a U.S. entry visa, instead of stamping my passport with an entry stamp, they issued a white sheet of paper certifying that I was at the border but not admitted to the United States. I made sure to ask if this would impact my future travels to the United States. They assured me that this would not be a case as this procedure amounted to me withdrawing my request to enter the U.S.;
>Armed with this white sheet of paper, I came to the Canadian checkpoint and passed my passport with all the documents to the border agent. She asked me if I was there for immigration purposes and I said yes. She asked me some standard border checkpoint questions, returned all the documents to me and gave me an yellow slip too. I was asked to park the car and go into the lobby;
>After about 30 minute wait, another border agent/immigration officer called my name. He asked what I was requesting. After learning that I was there for a work permit, he collected my documents which included:
1. My passport, with unexpired multiple entry Canadian Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) along with my unexpired "Student Permit";
2. My appointment letter/job offer from my employer;
3. Labour Market Opinion (LMO);
4. Letters and transcripts certifying my degrees and doctoral level studies since these were part of qualifications required for the job;
>After briefly examining my documents, he asked me to pay $150 for the permit, which I did with my debit card;
>After collecting my payment and the above documents, he asked me to wait and went into the backroom to work on my file;
>After about 20-25 minutes, he emerged with my documents and a newly issued work permit in his hand; I took all the documents thanked him, we said goodbyes and that was it.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you need more info... Good luck and blessings!
