What the officer is deciding
Whether the job offer is genuine, the applicant is able to perform the work, and they will comply with the conditions of the permit.
Every question in a Canada Work Permit interview serves this one decision. An answer that does not help the officer decide it is wasted time, and in a 12-minute interview there is none to waste.
What they will probe
The questions behind the questions
In priority order. The exact wording changes; what the migration officer is trying to establish does not.
- The employer, the role and the duties
- How they were recruited and what the LMIA covers
- Wage and whether it matches the offer of employment
- Qualifications and licensing for regulated occupations
Answers that sink an application
Red flags
Each of these has refused real applicants. The simulator’s officer listens for every one.
- Cannot describe the employer's business
- Paid a fee to secure the job offer
- Occupation requires provincial licensing they do not have
Have these at your fingertips
What a credible applicant knows cold
- Employer, work location, start date and wage
- LMIA number or exemption code
- Duties and required credentials
How a refusal is worded
The grounds the migration officer can refuse under
Publicly documented references, included so the practice interview can end the way a real one does. They are not legal advice.
- R216(1)(b)
Not satisfied you will leave Canada
Study permits, where the study plan or ties do not support a temporary stay.
- R179(b)
Not satisfied you will leave at the end of the stay
Visitor visas, on the same reasoning.
- A11(1)
Requirements of the Act not met
The officer is not satisfied on funds, purpose or the genuineness of the application.
- A40
Misrepresentation
A material fact — usually an undisclosed refusal — is withheld or misstated. Carries a five-year bar.
Practise it
Sit this interview before the real one
Add the facts from your own IMM 1295, then face an AI migration officer who holds that file, follows up on what you actually said and can refuse you. Afterwards every answer comes back marked, with the one you should have given. It improves your chances; it never guarantees a visa.
Begin a Canada Work Permit mock interviewQuestions applicants ask
How long is the Canada Work Permit visa interview?
Usually 7 to 12 minutes at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, with about 9 to 14 questions from a migration officer. Methodical and polite. All the pressure lands on your paperwork.
What is the officer deciding in a Work Permit work permit interview?
Whether the job offer is genuine, the applicant is able to perform the work, and they will comply with the conditions of the permit.
What gets a Canada Work Permit application refused?
Cannot describe the employer's business; Paid a fee to secure the job offer; Occupation requires provincial licensing they do not have. The officer can refuse under R216(1)(b) (not satisfied you will leave canada).
Can I practise the Canada Work Permit interview on TalkNative?
Yes. The Visa Interview Simulator runs a spoken mock interview with an AI migration officer for the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, built from your own facts, then reviews every answer and shows the one you should have given. Three mock interviews are free with no card; the officer's decision and the written report open when you unlock the module. It improves your chances; it never guarantees a visa.