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IMM 1295, Application for a Work Permit Made Outside of Canada: what it asks and common mistakes

IMM 1295 is the form for a work permit applied for outside Canada, completed by each person who needs one. The IRCC fee list shows $155 per person, plus $100 for an open work permit holder and $85 for biometrics where required. A form completed on a computer must be validated to generate a barcode page, and the Background Information section must be fully answered or the application is returned.

IMM 1295, "Application for a Work Permit Made Outside of Canada", is the form behind employer-specific permits, open permits and many special-category permits. The form itself is generic, and what it asks changes with the kind of permit. The same boxes serve a worker with a job offer supported by a labour market impact assessment, a spouse applying for an open permit and a recent graduate seeking a post-graduation permit.

This guide uses IRCC's form page (form version September 2023, page date 6 October 2026), IRCC's instruction guide 5487, "Applying for a work permit outside Canada" (page date 6 October 2026), IRCC's work permit page for applicants outside Canada (page date 31 March 2026) and the IRCC fee list (page date 21 September 2026). It explains what the form asks. It does not tell you which kind of work permit you should apply for or whether you are eligible for one.

Who completes IMM 1295 and how it is filed

IRCC's form page says each person who needs a work permit must fill out the form. The form is completed on a computer. The page says it may not open on tablets or mobile phones, that you need Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher, and that you can save the form and finish later.

IRCC's page for applying from outside Canada describes an online process: the submission step refers to signing in to an online account. Guide 5487 says you can send your application to a visa application centre that serves your area or apply online. The guide does not say which is faster. If you apply online or by mail, you pay the fees first and then receive a biometric instruction letter. At a visa application centre you may be able to book biometrics for the same visit as your submission.

Family members complete their own application forms. Guide 5487 says they can submit them together online or at a visa application centre with one payment receipt.

IRCC's guide also says the required forms vary by how and where you apply, and it advises checking the instructions from your regional visa office. That is the practical warning: IMM 1295 is the main form, but the package around it is not identical for every applicant.

Guide 5487 lists the Family Information form as IMM 5707 and says you must fill it out and submit it. It does not mention IMM 5645. Our guide to the two family information forms explains the difference.

Fees: what the fee list shows

The IRCC fee list (page date 21 September 2026) shows these amounts in Canadian dollars: - Work permit, including extensions, per person: $155.00. - Open work permit holder: $100.00. - Work permit, including extensions, per group of 3 or more performing artists: $465.00. - Biometrics, per individual: $85.00. - Biometrics, per family of 2 or more eligible people: $170.00. - Biometrics, per group of 3 or more performing artists: $255.00.

Guide 5487 explains the extra $100 for an open work permit holder as an additional fee that is refunded if the application is refused. It also says processing and biometric fees are not refunded, whatever the decision, and that fees can change at any time. IRCC's work permit page says the fee is $155 unless you are exempt, with a link to the fee exemptions. Whether any exemption applies to you is a question for IRCC's exemption page, not this guide.

The amounts above are the worker's government fees. The employer's side, including any labour market impact assessment charges, is covered in our guide to LMIA costs.

Remember that fees change. Read the list on the day you pay.

Identity and personal details

The opening sections follow the same pattern as IRCC's other temporary resident forms.

Names must match your passport or travel document exactly, without initials. If you have no given name, leave the field blank and do not enter "*", "Not applicable" or "NA". If part of your date of birth is unknown, use an asterisk for that part.

If your gender identifier differs from your current Canadian temporary resident document, you complete the Request for a Change of Sex or Gender Identifier, IRM 0002. IRCC's page says no supporting documents are required for it.

If you are not a citizen of the country where you are applying, send proof of your legal status in your country of residence.

For marital status, a common-law applicant completes the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union, IMM 5409, and a married applicant includes a photocopy of their marriage licence or certificate. Our guide to IMM 5409 explains that form.

If you use a representative, provide their contact details and complete the Use of a Representative form, IMM 5476.

If a temporary resident visa is needed and the application is approved, you must give IRCC your original passport.

The work details: permit type, dates and the LMIA

This is the part of IMM 1295 that varies the most, and it is where wrong answers cause the most trouble.

Permit type. The form asks what kind of permit you are applying for. IRCC's page says an open work permit means leaving Questions 2 to 6 blank. For a post-graduation work permit, choose Open Work Permit and write "post-graduation work permit" in Question 2a. Choose Other only for work with a recognized foreign mission or international organization, a foreign government, or a bridge or tunnel authority. The page limits that choice to those cases. Do not use Other as a catch-all.

Dates. Use the YYYY-MM-DD format for the work start and end dates. IRCC says these should match your LMIA, your offer of employment or the duration of your open work permit. A start date that falls before the offer, or an end date longer than the LMIA, is the sort of mismatch that draws a question.

LMIA attachments. If you are working under a labour market impact assessment, IRCC's page says to attach the original employment contract and the LMIA. The employer-specific permit depends on those documents, so check the copy you attach against the form's dates and job title.

Open work permit holders. If you are applying for an open permit, the fee list and guide 5487 show the separate $100 fee. Whether you are eligible for an open permit is not decided by this form. Our guides on spousal open work permits and on post-graduation work permits cover eligibility rules, and IRCC's special instructions pages are the authority.

Because the answers in this section decide what kind of permit is being requested, an error here can result in a permit that does not match the job, or a returned application. If the details do not fit any of the boxes, stop and take advice before choosing the nearest option.

The barcode page and the Background Information section

Two technical points about IMM 1295 trip up applicants more than any question on the form.

The barcode page. IRCC's page says a form completed on a computer must be validated to generate a barcode page. If you are applying on paper, you print the barcode page, which is page 5 of 5, and place it on top of your application. For group applications, each individual package needs one. Compare this to IMM 5409, which does not produce a barcode at all. Different IRCC forms behave differently, so follow the page for the form in front of you.

Background Information. The page says this section must be fully answered, and warns that your application will be considered incomplete and will be sent back to you. The section asks about the same subjects as IRCC's other temporary resident forms, and the same legal rules apply. Section 16(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act requires truthful answers. Section 40(1)(a) makes misrepresenting or withholding material facts relating to a relevant matter a ground of inadmissibility where it induces or could induce an error in the administration of the Act, and s.40(2)(a) sets a five-year period. Our guide on the misrepresentation bar explains that rule.

A previous refusal, a previous overstay or a past criminal matter belongs in the Background Information section if the question asks about it. Explaining those matters well is work for a regulated adviser or lawyer.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping questions in Background Information. The application is returned.
  • Filling in Questions 2 to 6 for an open work permit. IRCC's page says to leave them blank.
  • Not writing "post-graduation work permit" in Question 2a when applying for that permit.
  • Choosing Other because nothing else fits. IRCC limits Other to specific cases.
  • Dates that do not match the LMIA, the offer of employment or the open work permit duration, or not written as YYYY-MM-DD.
  • Attaching a copy of the contract instead of the original, or forgetting the LMIA, where the work depends on one.
  • Forgetting the barcode page on a paper package, or losing it from a group application where each person needs one.
  • Missing IMM 5409 for a common-law partner or a marriage certificate for a married applicant.
  • Using initials or "NA" in the name fields.
  • Forgetting proof of legal status where you are applying from a country of which you are not a citizen.
  • Using an old copy of the form. The form page shows a September 2023 version, so always download from IRCC.

Getting help

You can complete IMM 1295 yourself. Canadian law restricts who may advise or represent you for a fee: under IRPA s.91, only authorized people, which means licensed immigration consultants, lawyers and Quebec notaries in good standing. Our guides explain how to check a licence and describe the warning signs of unlicensed consultants. If a representative is appointed, IMM 5476 declares them, and the contact section of IMM 1295 carries their details. To find a regulated adviser, use the adviser directory on this site, which lists advisers and links to the official register so you can verify them yourself.

Questions people ask

How much does a work permit application cost?

The IRCC fee list (page date 21 September 2026) shows $155 per person for a work permit, plus $100 for an open work permit holder, and biometrics of $85 per person or $170 per family of two or more eligible people. Fees can change, so check the list on the day you pay.

What is the barcode page in IMM 1295?

IRCC's form page says a form completed on a computer must be validated to generate a barcode page. On a paper application you print the barcode page, which is page 5 of 5, and put it on top of the application.

Which questions do I leave blank for an open work permit?

IRCC's form page says an open work permit means leaving Questions 2 to 6 blank. For a post-graduation work permit you choose Open Work Permit and write post-graduation work permit in Question 2a.

Do I attach my LMIA to IMM 1295?

IRCC's form page says that for work with an LMIA you attach the original employment contract and the LMIA.

Is the open work permit holder fee refundable?

Guide 5487 describes the $100 open work permit holder fee as refunded if the application is refused. It says processing and biometric fees are not refunded whatever the decision.

Can a recruiter fill in IMM 1295 for me for a fee?

Not unless they are an authorized representative. IRPA s.91 limits paid advice and representation on an immigration application to licensed immigration consultants, lawyers and Quebec notaries in good standing.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • IMM 5645 and IMM 5707, Family Information Form: which one to use, who completes it and what it asks — IMM 5645 and IMM 5707 carry the same title, "Family Information Form – Visitors, Students and Workers". Each person aged 18 or older applying from outside Canada for a visitor visa, study permit or work permit completes one. IRCC's guides for study and work permits from outside Canada name IMM 5707, and IRCC's forms index does not say IMM 5645 has been replaced, so confirm which one your own application package lists.
  • IMM 5409, Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union: who signs, what it asks and common mistakes — IMM 5409 is a sworn declaration by two people that they are in a common-law relationship. It must be signed by hand, it will not produce a barcode when validated, and it asks for places, dates, years together and the kinds of shared life you can document. The regulations define a common-law partner as someone who has cohabited with you in a conjugal relationship for at least one year.
  • IMM 5476, Use of a Representative: what the form asks and how it is submitted — IMM 5476 tells IRCC that someone may act for you on an application, paid or unpaid. You complete the applicant sections, your representative signs their own declaration, and a paid representative must give their membership ID from the College, a law society or the Chambre des notaires. The same form is used to cancel or change a representative.
  • IMM 5710, Application to Change Conditions, Extend my Stay or Remain in Canada as a Worker: what it asks — IMM 5710 is the form for a worker already in Canada who wants to extend a work permit, change its conditions or apply for an initial work permit from inside the country. IRCC says to apply at least 30 calendar days before your current permit expires. The IRCC fee list shows $155 for a work permit including extensions, plus $100 for an open work permit holder.
  • Spousal Open Work Permit in Canada: Who Qualifies in 2026 — There are two separate spousal open work permits. One is for the spouse of a skilled foreign worker, and since 21 January 2025 it depends on the worker's TEER category and on the worker's permit having at least 16 months left. The other is for a spouse already living in Canada who is being sponsored for permanent residence. Each costs $155 plus the $100 open work permit holder fee (IRCC fee list, 21 September 2026).
  • PGWP eligibility 2026: program length, language, field of study, the 180-day deadline and the fee — A post-graduation work permit (PGWP) is for graduates of eligible designated learning institutions. IRCC's page, read on 10 October 2026, says you must meet all requirements: a program of at least 8 months, full-time study, language results (CLB or NCLC 7 or 5 depending on the program), an eligible field of study for some programs, and an application within 180 days. The fee is $255. This guide explains the rules. It cannot tell you whether you qualify.
  • LMIA explained: what it is and which Temporary Foreign Worker Program streams employers use — A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is an assessment by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that an officer uses when deciding on an employer-specific work permit. The employer applies for it and pays the $1,000 fee per position. Workers cannot be charged for it or for recruitment. A positive LMIA does not by itself guarantee a work permit.
  • LMIA Cost: The $1,000 Fee and Why a Worker Cannot Be Charged — An employer applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) pays $1,000 for each position requested. ESDC's page says the fee cannot be paid by, or recovered from, the temporary foreign worker, and a recruiter acting for the employer cannot recover it or recruitment costs from the worker either. It is not refunded if the application is withdrawn, cancelled or the LMIA is negative.
  • Work Permit Refused in Canada: What Happens Next — There is no appeal from a work permit refusal. IRCC's two stated options are to apply again with new information or to seek judicial review in the Federal Court, which has a 15-day deadline for decisions made in Canada and 60 days for decisions made outside it. If you were in Canada, your right to keep working usually ends on the day of the decision.
  • Misrepresentation in Canada: The Five-Year Inadmissibility Rule — Under section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, misrepresenting or withholding a material fact that induces or could induce an error makes a person inadmissible for five years, and during that time a foreign national cannot apply for permanent residence. The five years run from the final determination if it was made outside Canada, or from the day a removal order is enforced if it was made in Canada.
  • Unlicensed Immigration Consultants: How to Check Before You Pay — Only RCICs and RISIAs licensed by the College, lawyers and paralegals in good standing with a law society, and Quebec notaries may charge for Canadian immigration advice. IRCC says it won't deal with unauthorized paid representatives and may return or refuse an application that uses one.
  • Canadian Immigration Fees 2026: The IRCC List, Explained — The IRCC fee list (date modified 21 September 2026) sets the government fees for most applications: for example $100 for a visitor visa, $150 for a study permit, $155 for a work permit, $1,590 for an economic permanent residence application including the $600 right of permanent residence fee, and $653 for an adult citizenship application. Medical exams, language tests, police certificates and representative fees are not on it.