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Country guide · Canada
Living and working in Canada
A guide for international candidates
Unless you're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you'll need a work permit. Most come either through an employer's Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or through an LMIA-exempt route such as a trade agreement, an intra-company transfer or International Experience Canada. Express Entry is the main route to permanent residence. Pay, rent and climate vary widely by province.
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Canadian dollar
Currency
$, CAD · source
Ottawa
Capital
Six time zones
Time zone
From Pacific (UTC-8) to Newfoundland (UTC-3:30) · source
911
Emergency number
Types A and B
Plug
120 V, 60 Hz · source
Last checked 12 October 2026. Estimates are labelled.
Where the jobs are
All regions lets you pick a place and see rent, jobs and the sectors in this guide. Choose a sector to see that industry in every place.
Cyan is the region you picked. Navy is everywhere else.
Region
Newfoundland and Labrador
$1,118
- Rent a month
- $1,118
- Vs regions in this guide
- -28%
- Employees
- 214k
- Strongest sector
- Healthcare
Sector strength vs average for Canada
- Techn/a
- Healthcare1.34×
- Engineeringn/a
- Financen/a
- Hospitalityn/a
Job links open all Canada roles for now. Rent compared with the other regions in this guide.
View the map as a table
| Province or territory | Population, 1 Jul 2026 | Employees, 2025 | Sectors above average (LQ 1.05 or more) | Average rent a month (CAD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 552,462 | 213,877 | Healthcare 1.34 | $1,118 |
| Prince Edward Island | 182,989 | 76,806 | Hospitality 1.30, Manufacturing 1.13 | $1,261 |
| Nova Scotia | 1,103,419 | 455,044 | Healthcare 1.28 (Tech about 0.58, estimate) | $1,666 |
| New Brunswick | 883,522 | 358,302 | Healthcare 1.34 | $1,307 |
| Quebec | 9,067,114 | 4,015,289 | Manufacturing 1.25 | $1,232 |
| Ontario | 16,262,121 | 6,944,528 | Finance 1.25, Tech 1.16, Manufacturing 1.12 | $1,730 |
| Manitoba | 1,517,379 | 629,191 | Healthcare 1.23, Manufacturing 1.05 | $1,366 |
| Saskatchewan | 1,278,402 | 518,924 | Healthcare 1.21 | $1,378 |
| Alberta | 5,101,050 | 2,135,276 | None of the five; hospitality closest (1.04) | $1,574 |
| British Columbia | 5,710,598 | 2,496,973 | Hospitality 1.23, Tech 1.12, Healthcare 1.06 | $1,823 |
| Yukon | 50,356 | 24,807 | None of the five (Tech about 0.79, Manufacturing below 0.80, estimates) | $1,364 median, Whitehorse (Yukon Bureau of Statistics, Oct 2025) |
| Northwest Territories | 45,904 | 26,836 | None of the five (Tech about 0.57, Manufacturing below 0.80, estimates) | $2,036 |
| Nunavut | 43,091 | 21,961 | None of the five (Tech about 0.57, Manufacturing below 0.80, estimates) | About $2,415, 1-bed outside centre, Iqaluit (Numbeo, Aug 2026, estimate) |
Cities
Pay, rent and the share of pay that rent takes. Estimates stay labelled.
Canada
Toronto
- Rent
- $1,917
- Pay
- Not listed
- Rent share
- 31%
Daily mean 8.6°C; 807 mm precipitation; 115 cm snow
See jobs in TorontoCanada
Vancouver
- Rent
- $1,970
- Pay
- Not listed
- Rent share
- 33%
Daily mean 10.5°C; 1,160 mm precipitation; 37 cm snow
See jobs in VancouverCanada
Montréal
- Rent
- $1,291
- Pay
- Not listed
- Rent share
- 23%
Daily mean 7.0°C; 1,041 mm precipitation; 217 cm snow
Tools
Step 1 of 2
Visa route finder
A route to read about, not a decision on your application. Figures are the ones in this guide.
Rent and pay
The pay and rent figures already in this guide. This is not a tax calculation.
Rent a month in Toronto
$1,917
- Pay
- Not listed
- Rent share of pay
- 31%
Take-home pay
The Canada Revenue Agency payroll calculator works out federal and provincial deductions. Quebec provincial tax is a separate Revenu Québec tool.
Open the payroll deductions calculatorVisa routes to read about
These describe the route. They do not say whether you qualify.
- Source
LMIA work permit (Temporary Foreign Worker Program).
The offered wage against the provincial threshold (median plus 20%) decides high-wage or low-wage stream. Thresholds from 17 July 2026: $31.20 (PEI) to $48.00 (NWT).
- Source
Global Talent Stream
(part of the TFWP). 10 business day service standard, 80% of the time; Labour Market Benefits Plan.
- Source
International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt)
Intra-company transfers, trade agreement professionals, spouses of some workers and students.
International Experience Canada
Little-known facts
Daily life
- Healthcarereal winters and winter tyres, tipping in restaurants, sales tax added at the till, long distances between cities, bilingual packaging, provinces with their own rules for health cover, driving and tax.
- HealthcareEach province and territory runs its own public health insurance plan and issues its own health card.
- Good to knowSome have a waiting period for new residents, so private cover for the first months is worth checking.
Family, school and pets
- SchoolSchools are run by each province and territory.
- FamilySpouses and children: family members may get work or study permits depending on the main applicant's permit
- ChildcareChildcare fees: mean parental cost a month for full-time daycare centre care, children 0 to 5, 2025 (Statistics Canada 42-10-0053-01): Canada $434; Ontario $545; British Columbia $568; Alberta $451; Quebec $348; Nova Scotia $383; New Brunswick $387; Manitoba $258; Saskatchewan $260; Newfoundland and Labrador $240; Prince Edward Island $207; Yukon $279; Northwest Territories $327; Nunavut $263 (use with caution).
From job offer to settled in
1
Timeline from offer to day 90
LMIA or LMIA-exempt offer, work permit application, arrival and port of entry, Social Insurance Number, provincial health card, bank account, phone, housing, driving licence exchange, schools
2
"What to bring" list
Passport, port of entry letter, job offer, proof of funds, prescriptions, driving record
Questions
Do I need a job offer to work in Canada?
Not always. Most work permits are tied to an employer, through an LMIA or an LMIA-exempt route. International Experience Canada's Working Holiday permit is open (not tied to one employer) for citizens of partner countries, and some spouses can get open work permits. Read the IRCC route pages, and talk to a specialist for your case.
What is an LMIA?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is the employer's application to ESDC showing a foreign worker is needed. The offered wage, compared with the provincial threshold, decides whether it is a high-wage or low-wage application.
How much does an LMIA job need to pay?
It must match what Canadians in the same job and place are paid. The high-wage line runs from $31.20 an hour (PEI) to $48.00 (NWT) for LMIAs received from 17 July 2026.
Can a work permit lead to permanent residence?
Canadian work experience counts towards Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class and many provincial nominee streams. The 2026 Express Entry categories also favour some sectors.
Is healthcare free?
Public health insurance covers medically necessary care for residents who are eligible under their province's plan. Rules and waiting periods differ by province, so check yours before you arrive.
Ready to look at Canada roles?
Create your free profile and choose whether employers and agencies can find you.