Clergy and Religious Workers

Not long ago, churches and religious organizations had to look in their local communities, or at least within Canada, to find a pastor or religious worker. Finding the right candidate, with the right theological education, doctrine, ministry experience, personality, and calling was often a long process—and certainly a test of faith!

Today, the internet makes it easier than ever to connect with pastors and religious workers around the globe. And with many pastors delivering sermons and teaching online, your ministry team can easily determine if the candidate is the right fit for your group. In some cases, pastors from affiliated churches in China, Korea, the Philippines, Nigeria, or other countries are much more suited for ethnic or multicultural churches than the candidates available in Canada.

Since 1990, Lowe & Company has helped religious workers from over 30 countries come to Canada. We have published articles and spoken on religious worker immigration for the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, the largest association of Christian charities in Canada.

Whether you are a church or ministry looking to bring in the right religious worker for your organization, or you are a religious worker with a calling to serve in Canada, Lowe & Company can help you reach your spiritual goals and immigration needs.

What Churches Need to Know

The first thing you’re going to have to take a look at is what the religious worker you bring in will be doing. What kind of role will they play in your organization and what impact will they make upon the congregation?

Depending on what they will be doing, there are a number of different work permits or work permit exemptions which we can use. We have a long history of helping foreign religious workers acquire Canadian work permits, so let’s quickly go over the different kinds.

  1. A Regulation 205(d) Work Permit is available to foreign nationals who will be doing religious or charitable work. Charitable work usually falls into one of 4 categories:
    1. relief of poverty,
    2. advancement of religion;
    3. advancement of education, or
    4. certain other purposes that benefit the community (e.g. the Ballet Society, Symphony Orchestra, etc.)
  2. Another work authorization which we often use for pastors is the Regulation 186(l) Work Permit Exemption. To be eligible, they must:
    1. be coming to assist an existing congregation or group in Canada;
    2. be assisting that congregation or group in achieving its spiritual goals, and
    3. have duties consisting primarily of preaching, performing functions related to gatherings of the congregation or group, or providing spiritual counselling.
  3. In some cases, we will use the Intra-Company Transferee Work Permit to transfer an Executive, Senior Manager, or Specialized Knowledge Worker from a foreign affiliate to their Canadian branch. This could also be used where a foreign ministry is establishing a branch in Canada and wishes to transfer senior personnel to establish the operations in Canada. The transferee must have worked for the foreign affiliate for at least 1 year in the past 3 years.
  4. Some foreign religious workers may be eligible for a work permit under one of the Free Trade Agreements that Canada has. For example, Accountants, Computer Systems Analysts, and Graphics Designers are just some of the occupations which may be eligible for FTA Professional Work Permits. Besides the CUSMA with the US and Mexico (former NAFTA), Canada has Free Trade Agreements with the 27 European Union countries, the United Kingdom, 10 countries in the Trans Pacific Partnership, Korea, Colombia, Panama, and many other countries. These work permits do not require employers to advertise the position or meet salary minimums, making this one of the most flexible options currently available.
  5. Another type of work permit is that based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA. An LMIA is an opinion stating that a job offer given to a foreign national would not have a negative effect on the Canadian labour market. This is the most complex and costly of the work permits described, and we generally try to avoid this if there is another viable option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can We Bring In a Religious Worker from Another Country?

Churches in Canada can hire pastors and religious workers from anywhere in the world, and the fastest way to bring them over is with a work permit or an approved R186(l) work permit exemption.

How Long Will It Take?

Work authorizations are typically processed within one to three months, though it could take longer depending on the situation. In some cases. they can be in Canada while the work authorization is being processed.

Do We Need to Publicly Advertise the Position?

Unless you will be applying for a work permit that is based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, you do not need to publicly advertise the vacant position. An LMIA is the only case where you must prove that the pastor or religious worker you are bringing in will not be taking away a job opportunity from a Canadian.

Do We Have to Meet a Minimum Salary Requirement?

Unless you will be applying for a Labour Market Impact Assessment based work permit for your new hire, you do not need to meet a minimum salary requirement, though you should ensure that the salary is sufficient to cover the religious worker’s living expenses for his or her family. An LMIA is the only case where you must prove that you can and will compensate with LMIA-outlined wage minimums.

Is It Harder to Get Work Authorizations for People from Certain Countries?

It can be more difficult to acquire work authorizations for some people, depending on their country’s cultural and religious landscape. For example, some countries do not have seminaries, and, as a result, their education cannot be proven. In other cases, churches are illegal, so ministry experience cannot be proven.

Every case is different, and what we do at Lowe & Company is aggregate evidence that proves your candidate meets the requirements for the most applicable work authorization.

Can Our Ministry Hire Foreign Workers That Are Not Pastors?

In many cases, yes! We have helped many ministries bring in other kinds of foreign religious workers, such as musicians, teachers, counsellors, and worship leaders. We have also assisted a number of ministries in recruiting foreign workers with “non-religious” duties such as administrators, translators, and accountants.

Can The Religious Workers Bring Their Family to Canada?

When bringing a religious worker over, we can usually acquire a work permit for their spouse and study permits for their children in primary or secondary school. Longer term, they may apply for permanent residence under Express Entry, and your organization can support them by giving them needed points.

Can the Religious Worker Become a Permanent Resident after Getting a Work Authorization?

There are 2 ways for the religious worker to apply for permanent residence: as a Skilled Worker under Canada’s Express Entry system, or as a Provincial Nominee in some provinces like British Columbia. Having a job offer from a Canadian ministry or other employer is very important as this would give the religious worker additional points.

Since 1990, Lowe & Company has helped churches and Canadian ministries bring in pastors and religious workers from over 30 countries. We have assisted pastors and ministry leaders from the USA, UK, Korea, Australia, India, and many other countries. We have also handled much more difficult cases: former gang leaders turned pastors/evangelists; truck drivers without seminary education who led underground churches in communist countries; pastors from the Middle East who faced persecution in their home country; and many others. Request a consultation today to find out how we can be of service!

What Religious Workers Need to Know

The first thing you’re going to have to take a look at is what you will be doing. What is your job description and what role will you be taking on?

Depending on what you will be doing, you may qualify for one of several different kinds of work permits or a work permit exemption. We have a long history of helping foreign religious workers acquire Canadian work authorizations, so let’s quickly go over the different kinds.

  1. A Regulation 205(d) Work Permit is available to foreign nationals who will be doing religious or charitable work. Charitable work usually falls into one of 4 categories:
    1. relief of poverty,
    2. advancement of religion;
    3. advancement of education, or
    4. certain other purposes that benefit the community (e.g. the Ballet Society, Symphony Orchestra, etc.)
  2. Another work authorization which we often use for pastors is the Regulation 186(l) Work Permit Exemption. To be eligible, they must:
    1. be coming to assist an existing congregation or group in Canada;
    2. be assisting that congregation or group in achieving its spiritual goals, and
    3. have duties consisting primarily of preaching, performing functions related to gatherings of the congregation or group, or providing spiritual counselling.
  3. In some cases, we will use the Intra-Company Transferee Work Permit to transfer an Executive, Senior Manager, or Specialized Knowledge Worker from a foreign affiliate to their Canadian branch. This could also be used where a foreign ministry is establishing a branch in Canada and wishes to transfer senior personnel to establish the operations in Canada. The transferee must have worked for the foreign affiliate for at least 1 year in the past 3 years.
  4. Some foreign religious workers may be eligible for a work permit under one of the Free Trade Agreements that Canada has. For example, Accountants, Computer Systems Analysts, and Graphics Designers are just some of the occupations which may be eligible for FTA Professional Work Permits. Besides the CUSMA with the US and Mexico (former NAFTA), Canada has Free Trade Agreements with the 27 European Union countries, the United Kingdom, 10 countries in the Trans Pacific Partnership, Korea, Colombia, Panama, and many other countries. These work permits do not require employers to advertise the position or meet salary minimums, making this one of the most flexible options currently available.
  5. Another type of work permit is that based on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA. An LMIA is an opinion stating that a job offer given to a foreign national would not have a negative effect on the Canadian labour market. This is the most complex and costly of the work permits described, and we generally try to avoid this if there is another viable option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Come to Canada and Start Working for a Religious or Charitable Organization?

In order to work in Canada as a religious worker, you generally need to have a job offer from a Canadian church or ministry. Generally speaking, you cannot come to Canada as a church planter unless there is an existing church or congregation that has made their plans to expand clear.

After you have secured a job offer from an existing Canadian church or ministry, the fastest way to start working as a pastor or religious worker is with a work permit or an R186(l) work permit exemption. These are known as work authorizations, and the route you end up taking will depend on your role and job description.

How Long Does It Take To Get a Work Authorization?

From the time your application is filed, your Canadian work authorization will usually take 1 to 3 months to process. During this time, you can be inside or outside of Canada.

Can I Bring My Family to Canada with Me?

When we obtain a work authorization for you, we can also acquire an open work permit for your spouse. With this, your spouse can work for any employer, in any occupation, or even start a business. We can also obtain study permits for your children, as long as they are in primary or secondary school.

How Do I Become a Permanent Resident after Getting a Work Authorization?

There are at least 2 ways you can apply for permanent residence: as a Skilled Worker under Canada’s Express Entry system, or as a Provincial Nominee in some provinces like British Columbia if your ministry will sponsor you. Having a job offer from a Canadian ministry or other employer is very important, if not essential, as this will afford you additional points.

Since 1990, Lowe & Company has assisted pastors and religious workers from over 30 countries to come to Canada to minister, work, and immigrate to Canada. We have assisted pastors and ministry leaders from the USA, UK, Korea, Australia, India, and many other countries. We have also handled much more difficult cases: former gang leaders turned pastors/evangelists; truck drivers without seminary education who led underground churches in communist countries; pastors from the Middle East who faced persecution in their home country; and many others. Request a consultation today to find out how we can be of service!