Addition Of UK To CPTPP Expands Canadian Work Permit Options For UK Professionals

The United Kingdom has joined the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This development opens significant new work permit options for eligible UK citizens.

Under the CPTPP’s professional category, qualifying UK citizens can obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)-exempt work permit.

While some UK professionals have had access to Canada’s labour market through the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (CUKTCA), the CPTPP professional category is broader in scope, and allows Canadian companies to directly hire skilled candidates from the UK.

General eligibility requirements for CPTPP professionals

To qualify as a professional under the CPTPP, a UK citizen must meet the following requirements:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United Kingdom.
• Pre-arranged employment: Have a pre-arranged offer of employment with a Canadian employer in an eligible occupation listed in Annex 12-A, Section D of the CPTPP.
• Occupation: Work in one of the listed TEER 0 or TEER 1 positions included in the UK-specific provisions (see full list at end of this article).
• Education: Have a post-secondary degree of four or more years of study. However, UK professionals are deemed to meet this requirement if they have met the applicable UK educational requirements and the Canadian client or employer provides a letter confirming that the professional’s qualifications are satisfactory.
• Work experience: Have a minimum of two years of paid work experience in the sector of activity.
• Prevailing wage: Be paid at least the prevailing wage for the NOC/occupation and location.
• Licensing: Provide evidence of the necessary licensing or certification where the occupation is regulated by the relevant province or territory.

The Canadian employer must submit an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the applicable employer compliance fee. A UK citizen is allowed to apply for the work permit at the port of entry with a proper package.

The initial work permit is issued for up to one year, with extensions possible where the applicant can demonstrate a continued need.

Why the CPTPP provides more options than the UK FTA (CUKTCA)

Before the CPTPP came into force, the CUKTCA was the primary LMIA-exempt option for UK professionals seeking temporary work in Canada.

However, the CUKTCA is narrowly focused on just two categories: contractual service suppliers (employees of a UK enterprise fulfilling a service contract with a Canadian customer) and independent professionals (self-employed individuals supplying services under contract).

The CPTPP allows for conventional employer-employee arrangements, requires less experience, and covers a wider range of occupations.

The following table highlights key differences.

Additional resources

For the latest requirements and guidance, consult IRCC’s information on:

• CPTPP professional work permit provisions
• CUKTCA provisions

As guidelines can change without notice, always check the most current information from IRCC.

Spousal work permits: Gap for UK CPTPP professionals

Employers and UK professionals should be aware that the spouse or common-law partner of a UK national working in Canada under the CPTPP professional category may face difficulty obtaining a spousal open work permit (SOWP). This may hinder recruiting CPTPP professionals from the UK if spousal employment matters to them.

The CPTPP has specific provisions that allow for spousal work permits, but only for spouses of professionals from Australia, Chile, Japan, or Mexico. The UK is not on this list.

Under IRCC's general SOWP rules, the principal worker's permit must be valid for at least 16 months to allow the accompanying spouse to get a SOWP. Since an initial CPTPP professional work permit can only be issued for 12 months, spouses cannot meet the “16-month” requirement.

Therefore:

• An accompanying spouse may need to initially enter as a visitor rather than as a worker.
• Explore whether the accompanying spouse may be able to independently qualify for their own work permit.
• It may be possible to apply early for an extension to the initial CPTPP professional work permit, asking for an extension of more than 16 months, and including an application for the SOWP with the extension.

Employer takeaways

• The CPTPP’s professional category provides a new recruitment channel for UK talent. Canadian employers now have a streamlined, LMIA-exempt route to hire UK professionals in dozens of high-skill occupations. This is particularly valuable for employers in sectors facing talent shortages.
• Wage requirements are mandatory. Employers must offer remuneration at or above the prevailing wage for the occupation in the region where the work will be performed. This is the higher of (a) the regional median hourly wage posted on Job Bank's wage site, or (b) the wage paid to current employees in the same role and location with comparable skills and experience.
• Assess which agreement best fits. The CUKTCA remains in force alongside the CPTPP. Employers should evaluate both pathways to determine which best suits the situation.
• Plan ahead for licensing and regulated professions. For regulated occupations, the UK professional may need to obtain provincial or territorial licensing or certification. Employers should factor in the time needed for credential recognition.
• Consider the broader CPTPP toolkit. Beyond the professional category, the CPTPP also provides LMIA-exempt pathways for UK investors, intra-company transferees, and business visitors. The intra-company transferee provisions of the CPTPP allow stays of up to seven years for executives and senior managers and five years for specialized knowledge workers, whereas the time cap for ICTs under CUKTCA is only 4.5 years.

Eligible UK professional occupations under the CPTPP

Unlike some other CPTPP member countries whose provisions allow work permits for most TEER 0 and 1 occupations (subject to certain exclusions), the UK-specific provisions set out a defined list of eligible occupations. The following occupations are open to UK professionals (as of September 2026), listed with their corresponding NOC codes:

Restricted occupations

Note: The above lists are current as of the date of this article. Employers and applicants should always refer to the CPTPP professional work permit provisions on the IRCC website to verify current eligible occupations and requirements.