🇹🇷 Turkish citizens · 🇨🇦 Canada · Work
Canada work visa for Turkish citizens: requirements, cost and odds
We do not publish a Turkish-specific approval rate for a work visa to Canada, because we do not yet hold a figure from Canada for this category broken down by nationality. Rather than estimate one and format it like a statistic, we leave it out. For background, the published figures that do exist for Turkey are a 22.3% US visitor-visa refusal rate in FY2025 and a 14.6% Schengen short-stay refusal rate in 2025 — different countries and a different visa class, so treat them as context rather than as your odds. What is documented is the decision itself — officers assess whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for, and the single biggest lever is the sponsor and job offer. On the money side: No fixed savings figure for employer-specific permits, but show enough to settle initially and support yourself until wages start; open-permit streams may set their own funds rules. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record against that.
Last reviewed July 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada .
For Turkish citizens applying, a work visa to Canada is decided mainly on whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 78% for this route — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction. Turkish applicants see moderate refusal rates that are highly sensitive to documented ties and finances.
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Your trip
The essentials. Pre-filled if you came from a specific page.
Key requirements
- A genuine job offer from a Canadian employer
- LMIA from the employer, or an LMIA-exempt offer of employment (IMP)
- Work permit application: CAD$155 (+CAD$100 for open permits) + CAD$85 biometrics
- Proof you meet the job's qualifications (education, experience, language as relevant)
- Evidence you'll leave at the end of your authorized stay (temporary intent)
Visa fee (cost)
CAD$155 work permit fee (+CAD$100 for an open permit) plus CAD$85 biometrics.
Money & funds
No fixed savings figure for employer-specific permits, but show enough to settle initially and support yourself until wages start; open-permit streams may set their own funds rules.
Typical timeline
Highly variable by country and stream — from a few weeks to several months. LMIA processing (employer side) adds time before you can even apply.
Common refusal reasons
- Doubts the job offer or LMIA is genuine
- Qualifications don't match the offered role
- Officer not satisfied you'd leave if required (ties/dual-intent concerns)
- Insufficient settlement funds for the initial period
- Incomplete documents or misrepresentation
Where Turkey sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Turkish applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Turkey.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 22.3% adjusted refusal rate places Turkey 80th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 60% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Turkey is 9.5 points below it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in Turkey, 14.6% of short-stay applications were not issued — 60th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 1 points below the 15.6% median.
| Destination | Refused | Issued | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | 3.5% | 96.5% | 3,921 |
| Spain | 7.4% | 92.6% | 52,305 |
| the Netherlands | 9% | 91% | 109,773 |
| Greece | 10.8% | 89.2% | 310,386 |
| Italy | 14.8% | 85.2% | 79,523 |
| France | 15.5% | 84.5% | 141,283 |
| Germany | 21.2% | 78.8% | 217,312 |
Among Schengen states, applications lodged in Turkey were refused least often by Portugal at 3.5% and most often by Germany at 21.2% — a gap of 17.7 points on a like-for-like basis. That gap reflects who applies where as much as how strictly each state decides, so it is a starting point for choosing a main destination, not a ranking of leniency. You must still apply to the state where you will spend the most nights.
Demand and outcome moved together for Turkey between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 1,255,524 short-stay applications, against 1,170,191 the year before — up 7.3% — while the refusal rate went from 14.5% to 14.6%. Had 2024's rate held, roughly 1,145 of the 1,255,524 applicants refused in 2025 would have been issued a visa instead.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.
What actually moves the needle
A confirmed offer from a sponsoring employer
This is the heart of work decisions for Canada. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.
Qualifications and experience that match the role
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
A sponsor in good standing
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Context for Turkey applicants
Turkish applicants see moderate refusal rates that are highly sensitive to documented ties and finances. Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.
Avoid the common pitfall
The most frequent reason this route fails is an unconfirmed offer or a role that does not match your background. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official Canada work visa success rate for Turkish citizens?
Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for Canada work visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.
What matters most for a Canada work visa?
Officers focus on whether you have a genuine, sponsored job you are qualified for. In practice the single biggest lever is the sponsor and job offer, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.
Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?
Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.
Is this a guarantee of approval?
No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.
Is my information private?
Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.
What is an LMIA and do I always need one?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is the employer's proof no Canadian was available for the job. Many permits need one, but LMIA-exempt streams exist under the International Mobility Program (intra-company transfers, trade agreements, and more).
How much does a Canada work permit cost?
CAD$155 for the permit, plus CAD$100 if it's an open work permit, plus CAD$85 for biometrics (2026).
Can my spouse work in Canada too?
Often yes — spouses of many skilled work-permit holders can apply for an open work permit, depending on your occupation and stream.
Why are Canada work permits refused even with a job offer?
Common grounds: the offer or LMIA doesn't convince the officer, your qualifications don't match the role, or temporary intent is in doubt. A job offer helps but doesn't decide the case alone.
Does a work permit lead to permanent residence?
It can — Canadian work experience feeds programs like Express Entry's Canadian Experience Class, which is why work permits are a common PR pathway.
