Updated on August 24, 2026 by canadian immigration experts
Quick answer
Canadian Immigration Experts is a Toronto immigration firm, established in 1995, that serves Oshawa and Durham Region remotely from our North York office. We focus on work permits, employer LMIA hiring, intra-company transfers, student-to-PR pathways and family sponsorship for Oshawa’s auto, manufacturing, health and education sectors.
Do you have an immigration office in Oshawa?
No — and you do not need one nearby to get senior help. Our office is in North York at 1110 Finch Ave W #406, and we act for clients across Oshawa and Durham Region entirely by phone, email and secure videoconference. That suits shift workers and GO-train commuters: a remote file means no extra trip. We have advised on Canadian immigration since 1995, so the distance changes nothing about the depth of representation.
Which immigration services do Oshawa workers and employers use most?
The dominant need in Oshawa is employment-driven: a work permit in Canada for the worker, and a compliant hiring route for the employer. The local economy is anchored by the auto and advanced-manufacturing cluster, healthcare through Lakeridge Health, and post-secondary education at Ontario Tech University and Durham College. Each brings a different angle — foreign workers under an LMIA, managers and specialists arriving on an intra-company transfer, international graduates, and families reuniting through sponsorship.
| Route | Who it fits in Oshawa | Key requirement |
|---|---|---|
| LMIA-based work permit | Manufacturers, suppliers, trades and care employers filling a role they cannot fill locally | Positive or neutral LMIA from ESDC, then an employer-specific permit |
| Intra-company transfer (C12) | Executives, managers and specialised-knowledge staff moving into a related Canadian entity | Qualifying corporate relationship; LMIA-exempt |
| Post-graduation work permit | Ontario Tech and Durham College graduates | Eligible programme; rules tightened in 2024–2025 — check current eligibility |
| Express Entry / Ontario PNP | Skilled workers with Canadian or foreign experience | Ranked in the pool; a provincial nomination adds 600 points |
| Spousal / family sponsorship | Residents reuniting with a partner, child or dependant | Sponsor is a citizen or PR, 18+, with a 3-year undertaking |
How does LMIA hiring work for an Oshawa employer?
An Oshawa employer that cannot fill a role locally can apply to Employment and Social Development Canada for a Labour Market Impact Assessment. A positive or neutral LMIA confirms hiring the foreign worker will not displace Canadians, and the worker then applies for an employer-specific work permit tied to that job. The file must satisfy advertising, wage and recruitment rules, and errors there are the usual reason an application is refused or delayed. We build the recruitment record and the worker’s permit application together so the two match. For companies bringing in leadership from an affiliate abroad, the LMIA-exempt ICT stream is often faster.
Can Ontario Tech and Durham College students stay after graduating?
Usually yes. Graduates of an eligible programme can apply for a post-graduation work permit, then use that Canadian work experience to pursue permanent residence. The path from study in Canada to PR runs through Express Entry’s Canadian Experience Class or an Ontario Provincial Nominee stream. Because the field-of-study and PGWP rules changed in 2024–2025, confirm your programme still qualifies. Skilled Oshawa work history — including in the automotive supply chain — strengthens a PR profile, though a job offer no longer adds LMIA-based points to the federal ranking system after the 2025 change.
Bringing family to Oshawa and Durham Region
If you are settled in Oshawa, Whitby, Bowmanville or Clarington, you can sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent child, and in defined cases a parent or grandparent. Spousal sponsorship in Canada requires a sponsor who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 18, giving a three-year undertaking — with no minimum-income requirement to sponsor a spouse or partner. Where you live in Durham makes no difference, and we handle the whole file remotely. For an owner looking to grow through immigration, we also advise on business immigration to Canada.
What if IRCC is taking too long on an Oshawa file?
If IRCC has held your work permit, PR or sponsorship application well beyond its normal processing time and follow-ups have gone unanswered, a writ of mandamus in Canada can compel a decision. Mandamus does not force IRCC to approve your application — it forces IRCC to decide it. Security screening is the single most common cause of long delays. Where a decision has already been made and is wrong in law, the remedy is judicial review instead, and our Canadian immigration litigation team runs both in the Federal Court. The court’s authority to grant these orders sits in the Federal Courts Act; check current IRCC processing times before assuming a file is truly stuck.
Serving Durham Region and beyond
We act for clients across the eastern GTA. If you are just outside Oshawa, see our pages for immigration lawyer in Ajax & Pickering, immigration lawyer in Downtown Toronto or immigration lawyer in North York to the north. Wherever you are, the first step is the same — book a consultation and we will tell you honestly what is realistic.
Talk to an immigration team that has served Durham Region since 1995
Book a consultation and we will map the right pathway for your work permit, employer hiring or sponsorship — by phone, email or videoconference, wherever you live in the region.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an immigration law office in Oshawa?
No. Our office is in North York, at 1110 Finch Ave W #406, Toronto. We serve Oshawa and the rest of Durham Region remotely — by phone, email and secure videoconference — so you do not need to travel to us, and we can meet around shift work.
Can an Oshawa employer hire a foreign worker through an LMIA?
Yes. An Oshawa employer can apply to Employment and Social Development Canada for a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and a positive or neutral LMIA lets the worker apply for an employer-specific work permit. We prepare the recruitment file and the worker’s permit application together so they line up.
I am graduating from Ontario Tech or Durham College — can I stay and work?
Usually yes, through a post-graduation work permit. Your eligibility and permit length depend on your programme, and the field-of-study rules changed in 2024–2025, so check current eligibility. A PGWP is often the bridge from studying in Canada to permanent residence.
Does working in Oshawa’s auto sector help with permanent residence?
It can. Skilled experience with an Oshawa manufacturer, supplier or trades employer builds the work history Express Entry and Ontario’s Provincial Nominee streams reward. A valid job offer can support a provincial nomination, though LMIA-based points in the federal ranking system were discontinued in 2025.
Can I sponsor my spouse if I live in Whitby or Bowmanville rather than Oshawa itself?
Yes. Where you live in Durham Region makes no difference to a sponsorship application — the rules are federal. We serve Whitby, Bowmanville, Clarington and Courtice the same way we serve Oshawa, entirely remotely.
My work permit or PR application is stuck. What can I do?
If IRCC has held your file well past its normal processing time and you have followed up without a decision, a writ of mandamus in the Federal Court can compel IRCC to decide. It does not force approval — it forces a decision. Security screening is the most common cause of long delays.
Disclaimer: This article is general information about Canadian immigration law and procedure, current as of 2026. It is not legal advice and no solicitor-client or representative-client relationship is created by reading it. Rules, deadlines and requirements change; the right pathway depends on the facts of your case. Speak to a qualified immigration professional about your own circumstances before acting. Jane Katkova & Associates has advised clients on Canadian immigration matters since 1995.
