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Canadian Resume [Format, Tips & Examples for 2024]

Canada is a unique country that combines some traits you’ll find in the USA with some you’ll find in Europe.

This goes for resumes, too.

That’s why, when applying for a job in Canada, you have to make sure your resume conforms to Canadian application standards.

Naturally, you might be wondering - what does a Canadian resume even look like?

If you’re a foreigner, you’re likely drawing a blank trying to figure out what makes a Canadian resume different from the one in your own country. Even if you’re Canadian, you might still need to brush up on your resume writing skills.

Luckily for you, we’re here to show you how to write a compelling Canadian resume.

Here’s what we’re going to go over:

• Differences Between Canadian, US, and European Resumes
• Canadian Resume Formatting
• A Step-By-Step Breakdown on How To Write A Canadian Resume

And more!  Let’s get started!

Canadian Resume Example

Let’s take a look at a Canadian resume example:

Here’s what this resume does right:

• Reverse-chronological format. This format highlights your most recent work experience first and is a recruiter favorite all around the world.
• Relevant contact details. This resume example highlights the candidate’s first and last name, phone number, email address, location, and LinkedIn URL.
• Captivating resume summary. The paragraph nested in the header summarizes the candidate’s most essential skills and accomplishments.
• Action words. The candidate uses action verbs and power words to describe work responsibilities.
• Bullet points. The resume leverages bullet points to appear easy to read, organized, and reader-friendly.
• Additional sections. Language proficiency, certifications, awards, and interests all give a holistic view of the candidate and add value to their application.

Free Canadian Resume Templates

Creating a resume from scratch is time-consuming work. 

You need to twitch the margins, keep the fonts uniform, carefully align every element you add, and make sure it never spills over to page two.

But you can skip all that hassle if you use a resume template .

Novoresume’s templates are created in collaboration with recruiters and meet all job market requirements. 

Any template you use can save you time and let you write your resume in minutes.

Canadian Resume Specifics

There are a few basic things to keep in mind when crafting your Canadian resume. First things first:

The terms resume and CV can be used interchangeably in parts of Canada. In Quebec, for example, both terms refer to a one or two-page-long summary of a candidate’s career that’s tailored to the job they’re applying for.

Outside of Quebec, however, a CV is different from a resume in that it’s far more detailed and appropriate for academic positions or specific senior-level applications. 

Most job postings will ask for a resume unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Some other things to keep in mind about Canadian resumes include:

• Keep your resume one to two pages . A one-page resume is more than enough if you’re a recent graduate or new to the job market. Two-page resumes are recommended for seasoned professionals, and in certain cases, a three-page resume can be acceptable.
• Write your resume in the same language as the job offer. If you’re going for a position in Quebec and the advertisement is in French, then use French. Don’t assume they’ll accept a resume in English unless it’s explicitly written so on the job posting.
• Skip personal information and photos. Your resume should never give away your appearance, gender, age, ethnicity, nationality, religion, marital status, number of children, or any personal identification numbers.
• Don’t list references with your application unless the employer has requested them. Assumably, you can provide references if requested, so dedicating space on your resume when you’re not asked to is a waste.

Canadian Resume vs. US Resume

Both the USA and Canada prefer using resumes over CVs. In fact, Canadian and US resumes are almost identical.

The biggest difference? The language the document is written in.

You might be thinking - wait, I thought Canada used English?

Only partly.

Canada has two official languages - English and French. Both of these languages have standardized Canadian spellings, so that means they are not 100% the same as American English or European French.

Most of the terminology on your Canadian resume will be just about the same as it would be on its US equivalent. The biggest difference will probably be the added “u” to words like colour, and favourite , and the spelling of words like catalogue, centre, and cheque, as opposed to catalog, center, and check.

Before submitting your application, consider using a grammar checker like Grammarly or QuillBot to make sure your resume is up to par with Canadian spelling conventions .

Canadian Resume vs. European Resume

Typically, a resume in most of Europe, Asia, and the Pacific is referred to as a CV. The term resume in Canada refers to the same document that a CV refers to in Europe.

Both documents are meant to be one to two pages long, and list skills and experience relevant to the position you’re applying for. So in this sense, a European CV is actually different from a Canadian CV.

In Canada, a CV is an extensive document and is usually required in academic settings rather than for corporate job applications. The CV can be anywhere from two to ten pages long since it’s meant to list everything - from work experience to projects to publications.

European resumes also tend to be more detailed. For example, they can include details on high school education and grades, even if the candidate has a college degree. In Canada, that’s not the case. Your high school education is irrelevant if you have a higher degree of education.

The biggest difference between Canadian resumes and European ones is the amount of personal information you’re allowed to give away. For example, in Germany including a picture of yourself on your resume is common, but that’s absolutely not the case in Canada. There, your date of birth and nationality are a no-go.

These bits of information can be used to discriminate against you, so you’re supposed to keep them out of your resume as a precaution to give everyone a fair chance. Recruiters often consider resumes that overshare details of the candidate’s life (e.g.: race, age, date of birth, religion, political affiliation, etc.) unprofessional.

Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Your Canadian Resume

You’ve seen what a Canadian resume looks like. Now it’s time to write your own.

If you’re not sure where to start, don’t worry -  we’ve here to help you get it right.

Just follow these steps:

#1. Use the Correct Format

The most popular resume format in Canada is the reverse-chronological format (which is also called the chronological format).

It’s so widely used that it’s expected by most recruiters. The chronological format puts your most recent work experiences first and then goes back in time.

Here’s an example of what it looks like:

One of the other formats is the functional resume format , also known as the skills-based resume format, which focuses on your key strengths and abilities. It’s recommended for career changers or recent graduates with little-to-no experience in the field they’re applying for.

Then, we have the combination resume format . As the name suggests, it mixes elements of both the chronological and functional format. This format gives equal attention to a candidate’s experience and skills. It provides a detailed skill summary and is a good choice for applicants who have a noticeable employment gap but plenty of work experience nonetheless.

#2. Follow These Layout Tips

If your resume looks cluttered and unorganized, the hiring manager is less likely to want to read it.

But paying attention to your resume’s layout can get you a better chance.

Stick to these formatting tips when building your Canadian resume:

• Have separate sections for all the information you want to add.
• Use a professional and easily legible resume font . 
• Let your resume breathe - leave in enough white space so the contents are easier to read, by setting your resume margins to 1” on all sides. 
• Save your resume in the correct document size. Canadian resumes use a standard North American letter size (8.5 x 11 inches), instead of the A4 size common elsewhere. You can do this easily in the Novoresume editor by choosing “Layout” in the top menu and choosing “US Letter Format”.

#3. List the Right Contact Information

Once you’ve sorted out your resume layout, it’s time to start filling in its content.

The contact information section is the first thing you should list. Here’s what to include:

• Name and surname
• Canadian phone number
• Address (City and Province)
• Professional email address

Optionally, you can include a link to your LinkedIn profile, a personal website, or an online portfolio. Just make sure they’re updated and relevant to the application.

#4. Write Your Resume Summary

Each resume only has a few seconds to catch a recruiter’s attention, so you have to make yours eye-catching and easy to read.

Here’s where a resume summary comes in. 

Going at the top of your resume, a resume summary is a two or three-sentence-long summary of your career. It includes:

• Your professional title and years of experience. 
• Two-three of your biggest achievements.
• One-two of your top relevant skills for the position.

If you’re less experienced, you can opt for a resume objective instead. A resume objective focuses on your skills and motivation to grow in your chosen field, rather than on prior experience and professional achievements.

When applying for a remote job for a company based in Canada, mention this in your resume summary. If you’re looking for a company that’s going to relocate you to Canada , make sure to mention that in your resume instead, so you don’t waste time for yourself or the hiring manager.

#5. Include Your Work Experience

Work experience is the most important section on a Canadian resume . 

It lets you expand on your past achievements and responsibilities, proving to the hiring manager you’re the best candidate for the job.

Here’s how you should structure this section:

• Start with your most recent job and go back in time. That said, don’t go back more than ten or 15 years ago, even if you’re a senior professional. The hiring manager doesn’t care about your job as a server from back in college.
• Start with your job title. The recruiter will immediately know if you have the necessary experience for the job from reading your job title.
• Add your company name and location. Sometimes you can even add a brief description of your former employer, particularly if it’s a smaller business that isn’t well-known.
• Include your dates of employment. There’s no need to be super detailed, so just stick to the mm/yyyy format.
• List your job responsibilities and achievements. Provide 4-6 bullet points for your most recent position and 2-3 bullets for older jobs.

Structuring your work experience the right way is only half the work. To stand out from the competition, you want this section to be as impressive as possible.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help with that:

• Reference the job ad, and focus on the top skills and qualifications required from candidates. Tailor your work experience around the skills that you do have to draw attention away from the ones you don’t.
• Focus more on achievements over day-to-day responsibilities. The hiring manager already has an idea of what your responsibilities for a certain job were. What they’re interested to know is what you achieved while doing it.
• Quantify your accomplishments as often as possible. Use the Laszlo Bock formula ( “accomplished X as measured by Y by doing Z” ) to provide a timeframe, scale, and results for what you’ve achieved. e,g: “ Increased annual revenue growth from 5% to 10% through the implementation of a financial roadmap. ” 
• Use powerful words and action verbs . Recruiters hate hearing generic phrases like “responsible for” or “team player,” so using the right vocabulary can help you stick out. 

Are you a recent graduate with no work experience on your resume ? Don’t sweat it - we’ve got a guide to help you find your first job .

#6. Add Your Education

In Canadian resumes, the education section typically goes right under your work experience.

Here’s how you should format this section:

• Program Name. E.g: “B.A. in Computer Science”
• University Name. E.g: “Ohio State University”
• Years Attended. E.g: “08/2018 - 06/2022”
• Achievements (optional). E.g. “Minor in Linguistics” 

It should look something like this:

B.A. in Computer Science

Concordia University

08/2019 - 06/2023

• Summa Cum Laude
• Minor in Business Analytics

Follow these tips to make this section pop:

• Don’t describe your high school education if you have a university degree.
• Mention courses you’ve taken that are relevant to the industry you’re applying to. (E.g: Statistics and Probability for a Data Analyst)
• Stick to a reverse chronological format when listing your degrees. E.g: A Ph.D. is listed above a Master’s Degree, which is listed above a Bachelor’s degree, etc.
• If you don’t have work experience, you can emphasize your academic background. Just list your education at the top of your resume instead of the work experience.

#7. Highlight Your Greatest Skills & Strengths

The skill section shows which candidates have the necessary expertise for the job, and no Canadian resume is complete without it.

Skills are typically divided into two categories:

• Soft skills consist of personality traits and characteristics developed in your personal and professional life. They involve communication skills , people skills, interpersonal skills , etc.
• Hard skills, or technical abilities, are skills you can gain from experience, training, or education. These can include computer skills or proficiency in the use of specific tools.

The trick here is, don’t list every skill you’ve ever learned, just the ones relevant to the job you’re applying for.

If you’re going to be a graphic designer, your Photoshop skills are more important than your forklift certification. Recruiters want to know which skills make you the right candidate for them, not which skills make you the most well-rounded individual.

Scan the job description and jot down which of your skills the company is looking for. Then add them to your Canadian resume.

Just make sure you don’t focus solely on one type of skill over the other. A good application covers both soft skills and hard skills, depending on the job requirements.

Here’s an example:

#8. Leverage Additional Sections

If you’ve covered all the essential resume sections and have some space left, consider adding some optional resume sections.

These sections aren’t as vital as the ones we’ve covered so far, and they won’t do as much heavy lifting on your resume as your work experience, skills, or education.

However, they can help set you apart from candidates with similar work experience and skills as yours. 

For example, if choosing between two equally qualified professionals, and the position includes collaboration with French-speaking employees or business partners, the hiring manager is likely to choose a candidate who can speak French.

Here are the additional sections you can include on your resume:

• Languages . Being able to communicate in more than one language gives you an advantage over other candidates.
• Internships. Adding any relevant internships to your resume shows you have some experience that’s prepared you for the job you’re applying to.
• Volunteer experience . Any experience volunteering is a great addition to any resume since it shows you’re a caring person who wants to give back to your community.
• Hobbies and interests . Certain hobbies or interests might give the hiring manager a look into who you are as a person, and work in your favor.
• Certifications and awards. Any relevant qualifications or awards, such as online classes, can go here.
• Publications. If you’ve published anything, ranging from magazines to research articles, you can add it to your resume.
• Projects. Interesting projects you’ve worked on can show the hiring manager your passion and dedication to your field.

#9. Include a cover letter

Cover letters are still an essential companion piece to any resume.

Adding a cover letter to your application shows the hiring manager you’re ready to take all the necessary steps to land the job.

Cover letters also complement resumes by allowing you to elaborate on things you don’t have the space for in your resume, such as certain achievements or employment gaps.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what your cover letter should include:

• Header. As with your resume, include your updated contact information with your name, surname, Canadian phone number, and professional email address. Be sure to include the employer’s contact information as well.
• Greeting line. Make sure you address the cover letter correctly with a greeting line like “ Dear John Doe, ” or “ Dear Mr. Doe, ”. If you can’t find the hiring manager’s name, just use something like “ Dear [Department] Team. ” 
• Introduction. Start off with a brief summary of why you’re writing the letter and which position you’re interested in. To grab the hiring manager’s attention, use your opening paragraph to also describe two or three of your top achievements.
• Qualifications and motivation. The body of your cover letter should emphasize your skills, experience, and enthusiasm for the position. Use it to explain exactly what makes you the right candidate and how you’re the right fit for the company.
• Closing paragraph . Wrap up your letter with a call to action and an official signature line.

Struggling to write your cover letter? Check out these cover letter examples to get inspired.

FAQs About Canadian Resumes

Do you still have any questions? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Canadian resumes.

1. How can I create a Canadian resume as an international student?

Whether you’re looking to apply to a university in Canada, secure an internship , or land your first job after your graduation, your main focus should be on your academic achievements.

Education is highly valued in Canada and your credentials and relevant coursework will boost your resume, so long as you keep it relevant to the position you’re applying for.

When describing your education, you can also add the location next to your school or university’s name. E.g.: “Marmara University, Turkey” instead of just “Marmara University”.

2. Should the Canadian resume be in a PDF or Word file format?

Generally speaking, a PDF is the preferred format for resumes since it remains the same regardless of what operating system or device you use to open it. Moreover, it keeps your formatting and illustrations in place, and can’t be edited by accident when a recruiter mislicks.

Most career websites in Canada accept resumes as both PDF and Word files. Nonetheless, we recommend you have your Canadian resume exported to PDF unless the job ad specifically requests Word.

3. Do Canadians say CV or resume?

Depending on what part of Canada you’re in, people might say CV and resume interchangeably. However, outside of Quebec, these are two different documents.

Resumes are typically not longer than two pages and are meant to be tailored to the job you’re applying for. CVs, on the other hand, are far more detailed and appropriate for academic settings or specific senior-level applications.

4. What should you NOT include on a Canadian resume?

As an anti-discrimination measure, pictures of yourself and personal information, are legally prohibited from job applications. This means your nationality, age, gender, religion, immigration status, political affiliation, marital status, and social insurance number, have no place on your resume.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it’s taboo for applicants to include their salary expectations on a Canadian resume. Salary expectations should only be provided if requested by the employer, and even then, they are best included in a cover letter, never on your resume.

Key Takeaways

And that’s a- boot it for Canadian resumes!

Let’s recap the main things you need to know on the subject:

• Canadian resumes are essentially the same as US resumes. You won’t have any difficulties applying with a US resume for a position in Canada, but Canadian English is preferred over standardized American English.
• A Canadian resume is the equivalent of a CV in Europe and most other parts of the world. However, a CV in Canada is a much longer document that’s used mostly to apply for jobs in academia.
• Keep your formatting clear, and use separate sections and legable fonts when building your resume.
• When applying to jobs in Canada, you should never include anything that could be used to discriminate against you, such as information about your age, nationality, and immigration status, or pictures of yourself.

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How to use the Resume Builder

Step 1 pick a template.

After you create a Standard or Plus account on Job Bank, just login to access the Resume Builder. To build your first resume, pick from one of the two templates currently available. You should choose the resume template that best reflects your current situation.

• you have several years of experience in your field;
• you’re looking for a job in your field;
• your career progression has been stable and your work history is fairly consistent (no major gaps).

Use the youth and recent graduates’ template if:

• you’re a first-time job seeker starting your professional career;
• you’ve just completed your education and you’re looking for an entry-level job in your field of study;
• you have limited paid work experience.

Step 2 Fill in the blanks

Once you’ve picked a resume template, fill in the blanks with details about your education, experience and skills.

To help fill in some sections of your resume, you can search thousands of pre-defined options and select the ones that suit you. For example, you can import job duties for any job title. When you look up a job title, you can select all or any of the associated job duties and add them to your resume in one click.

If you have a Plus account on Job Bank, you can simply import all of your profile details into the Resume Builder to automatically fill the blanks.

Step 3 Customize your resume

Make sure to put a personal spin on your resume: with the ability to add free text descriptions and create new sections, you can easily customize its content to suit your needs.

Not sure where to start? Expert tips on customizing each section of your resume are provided as you fill them in. For more advice, read our do’s and don’ts of writing a good resume .

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How to write a Canadian resume

This is not another article telling you to spell-check your resume—but do spell-check your resume. We're going to cover the not-so-obvious tips for getting your foot in the door to your Canadian dream job.

The resume is only one step to finding a job in Canada—and it is not even the first. Before you sit down to type up your professional background, do some research on Canada's job market, and identify the companies that you would like to apply for. The Canadian government website offers some tools that can help you in your job search.

For this article, we are going to focus on optimizing your resume for Canadian employers. Keep in mind, employers will have their own preferences, and there are different best practices for every industry. We hope to give you a general idea of what you can include on a Canadian resume and what is best left out.

Discover if You’re Eligible for Canadian Immigration

5 don'ts of Canadian resume writing

Don't include a photo

Unlike some countries, in Canada it is not necessary to include a photo with your CV — unless you're an actor or a model. In general, the only information you need on your CV is what is relevant to the job posting.

Don't overshare

You do not need to include most personal information on your CV. At this point, the only personal information the employer needs is your name, and how to contact you. They do not need to know your age, what country you are from, your race, your religion, your marital status, or anything about your family. In fact, if asked these questions in an interview it might be illegal under Canada's human rights laws .

Also, your CV is not the place to disclose your Social Insurance Number (SIN). Employers do not need that until you are already hired for the job. Your SIN card is a sensitive document, and you should only share it when it is legally required .

Again, all you need to include in your CV is your relevant skills, experience, and basic contact information like name, phone number, and email. Mailing address is not always necessary, especially if you are searching for a job in a different city. If you want to demonstrate that you are within a commutable distance from the place of employment, then you may want to include it, but most job seekers find it just takes up precious space on the page.

Don't write too much

In terms of length, one page is ideal but having two is fine.

You want the person reviewing your application to see only your best, most relevant, and recent experience. If you are just starting your career and you do not have a lot of experience, you can include items that may be less relevant to the posting.

In general, just keep your resume short and sweet. You want it to be "skimmable." Recruiters should be able to get an idea of your experience without feeling like they have to read a novel.

Don't include references

If your employer wants references they will ask for them. A good practice is to ensure your reference knows that you are naming them and giving out their contact information. Talking to your reference beforehand also helps you determine if this person really is going to give you a glowing review or not.

Don't use an inappropriate email address

Recruiters do pay attention to these details, and they might judge you based on whatever email address you thought was funny in high school. Using an email address that contains your name does not signal any red flags.

5 dos of Canadian resume writing

Do tailor your application to the job posting

It takes longer, but you will often get better results if you tailor each resume to the position you are looking for rather than the "spray and pray" method where you send out a bunch of generic resumes.

Not sure what order you should present your experience? Which skills to include and which to leave out? Are you between word choices?

Look at the job posting. This is your first clue into exactly what the recruiter is looking for, and the language they want to see in your application.

The posting will list the job qualifications and then the nice-to-haves. Include your necessary skills front and centre on the first page of your resume, then put your "assets" after that.

Do quantify your achievements

Try to quantify your achievements with numbers, if you can. For example, if you were a manager, mention how many people you were responsible for overseeing. If you worked in sales, how many products did you sell? How much profit did you ring in every month?

Listing your specific achievements, in numbers that an employer can understand, will highlight your skills better than a generic statement. Saying you have a "good work ethic" means nothing. Demonstrating that you grew traffic to your company's website by 20% over one year, for example, shows a recruiter that you know what you are doing.

Do write in third person

Write in third-person format, so no "I," "me," or "my." Keep your sentences short and clear.

For your work experience, include the name and location of your company, and list a few of your responsibilities. Include the years you worked at the company, or if you worked for less than a year you can include the number of months. There is no need to explain gaps in employment on the resume. It will come up in the interview if the recruiter even asks.

For your education, list the school, program, credential, and dates. Depending on the position you are applying for, you can include your GPA as well, but it is usually not necessary. You can include your awards here, or in a separate "awards" section.

Do include unpaid work experience

You can include things like your volunteer experience, as long as it prepared you for the duties you will be performing at the job you are applying for.

Do include a cover letter

Even if they do not ask for it, even if they are going to skip it and head straight to your resume, it is always good to include a cover letter.

A cover letter is meant to embellish the resume, and show the recruiter why you are the best fit for their job opening.

We could write a separate article about cover letters— and we probably will. But here we will give you a general idea of how to write a cover letter.

Your cover letter should contain the company's contact information, as well as your contact information. It should be no more than a couple of paragraphs, and it should not take up a whole page.

You can write in the first person here. Your goal is to connect with the recruiter. Use their name only if you are 100% sure you have the correct name of the person who will be reviewing your application. If you do know their name, use it, but note that there is usually no need to include a prefix. These days, starting a letter with "Sir" or "Madame" is usually inappropriate, unless you know for certain that the recruiter reading your letter prefers that.

The first paragraph should introduce who you are and why you want this job. Be sure to name the position you are applying for. In the subsequent paragraphs, you will want to demonstrate why you are the best candidate for the position, referring to your previous relevant experience. You can go above and beyond by showing them how your involvement will solve their problems, and make them a better company.

Conclude by thanking them, and letting them know that you will be following up.

Bonus tips for your Canadian job hunt

You are dealing with more barriers than the average Canadian-born job-searcher, however, there are immigrant support services, and employment services that can help you in your journey. Immigration Canada has a list of free services on their website , but these are by no means an exhaustive list of everything that's out there. You can also check your provincial, or territorial websites, or search for employment services in your city.

As much as possible, try to ask people you know if they have any connections or know of any job openings. LinkedIn estimates at least 85% of jobs are found through networking. If you are in Canada and you do not know a lot of people, try industry networking events in your area, which can be found online through events websites, like Eventbrite , or on social media, like Facebook events or groups.

Also, if you think you are underqualified for a position that interests you, apply anyway. In the best-case scenario, you get the job and learn to become the candidate that they are looking for, or else you just do not get the job. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

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The contents of this guide are intended to direct you as you construct your resume for Canadian employment purposes. Your resume is based on your own experiences and skills. Because of that, every resume is unique.

The following are general guidelines only. You must tailor your resume to suit your own experiences, and to suit the industry you want to work in and the job you are applying for.

What is a Resume?

A resume, sometimes called a curriculum vitae (CV), is a document that contains details about your education, achievements, and employment history,

How to Format Your Resume

There are no strict rules for how to format your Canadian resume, but the following are some guidelines to make your resume look professional and easy to read.

• Headings Include a heading above each new section of your resume.
• Length Keep your resume between one and two pages long. Longer resumes often go unread, while resumes less than a full page can indicate inexperience.
• Font Your font should be consistent throughout your resume. You should use at most two fonts: one for headings and one for content. You should also choose a professional looking font. Your font size should be big enough that it is easy to read when your resume is printed.

You can add emphasis or style to your resume by bolding or italicizing important words or details. This draws the reader’s eye, so only use it sparingly. You want to highlight the content of your resume, not distract from it.

What to Include in Your Resume

There are four sections that should absolutely be on every Canadian resume:

• Contact information
• Work experience

You can also choose to include any volunteer experience you have and any awards you’ve received.

1. Name You should include your first and last name, in that order. You do not need to include your middle name(s). You name is the most important part of your resume; it should stand out on the page and be easy to read. Typically, this will be the largest font on your resume.

2. Contact Information Your contact information should be positioned directly below or beside your name. It should include your basic contact information:

• Email address
• Phone number
• Current residential address

It’s important that you include all of this information, so that your prospective employer will be able to follow up with you.

3. Work History Your work history demonstrates your professional experience. List your previous occupations in chronological order. For each occupation, include:

• Your position
• The name of the company or institution you worked for
• The years you held the position
• Three (3) responsibilities you had or duties you performed in your position.

You can set yourself apart from other candidates by highlighting any policies you implemented, or innovative solutions you came up with in your previous position(s). You may need to highlight different duties depending on the job you are applying for. While remaining truthful to your experiences, don’t be afraid to change the details of this section as needed. Using industry-specific language can help demonstrate your expertise. However, your prospective employer may have limited knowledge of your field. If you use too much industry-specific language, he or she might not be able to understand the scope of your position.

4. Education Start with the highest degree that you have and work down. If you have more than one degree of the same level, order them by relevance to the position you’re applying for. Only include current or completed degrees. For each degree, include:

• Program of study
• Name and type of institution that issued the degree
• The type of degree you earned
• The years you attended

5. Optional: Volunteer Work Volunteer work is highly valued by Canadian employers. If you have volunteer experience, it can help distinguish you from other candidates. Only include volunteer work that is relevant to the industry that you are seeking work in, or that showcases a trait or characteristic that contributes to your qualification for the position you are applying to. For each volunteer experience, include:

• The name of the organization you volunteered for
• Three (3) responsibilities you had or duties you performed

6. Optional: Achievements If you have received any awards or other official recognitions that are relevant to the position you are applying for, you should include them. Limit the achievements you list to the three most relevant and/or significant. Include a short description of what the award was granted for.

What Not to Include in Your Resume

There are some things that may be common to include elsewhere in the world that should not be on your Canadian resume.

1. Overly Personal Information Absolutely do not include any of the following anywhere on your resume:

• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Marital status
• Citizenship status
• Family status

2. Information About your Parents Absolutely do not include any information about your parents. Your resume should only include details that are relevant to you and to the position you are applying for.

3. Annexes Do not include any annexes. Your resume should be no more than two pages in total .

4. Personal Pictures You should not include a picture of yourself with your resume.

5. Design elements You should not include design elements such as graphs, tables, icons, or illustrations. If you choose to use colour, keep it simple and make sure that it is easy to read when printed in ‘grayscale’.

6. References You should not include a list of references on your resume. If you reach the stage of the hiring process where references are required, the employer will request them.

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Resume format in Canada

Updated on March 15, 2024

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The resume format in Canada is quite different from CVs and resumes you may be used to writing in other countries. By following our advice, you too can adapt to the Canadian way of presenting your experience and skills.

Start off with this webinar from recruitment expert and Moving2Canada founder, Ruairi Spillane, about how to create the best resume for the Canadian jobs market:

When you’re done reading through these tips, visit our Jobs Board  and review our  practical advice for finding jobs in Canada.

What you'll find on this page

What’s different about the resume format in canada.

Your resume is key to  finding jobs in Canada . Employers will generally assess your suitability for roles based on this document alone.

Your sole objective in writing a resume is to pique the reader’s interest so that you get an  interview . Shift the focus away from telling the employer everything about yourself.  Instead, focus on things that will make them believe you can help their company.

Avoid simply listing your duties in each role. Instead, refer to  achievements  that other candidates wouldn’t be able to put on their resume. Differentiate yourself from the crowd.

The resume format in Canada must contain (in this order):

1. Contact information 2. Professional / career summary 3. Work experience 4. Education / professional development

Where appropriate, you may also add technical skills and volunteer experience / community involvement.

"I sent countless resumes, but never heard back!"

16 tips to adapt to the resume format in canada.

1. Your resume is a tool to secure an interview. It’s not intended to be a thorough work history document. When you write a resume for Canada, concentrate on presenting the reader with your highlights, not every detail. The interview is the time to go into detail.

2. Keep your resume interesting. Typically, hiring managers will only spend 10-30 seconds browsing your document. Use the resume format in Canada to sell yourself in a concise way that focuses on your achievements.

3. Use a professional resume template. Register for a Moving2Canada account to get a professional resume template for free.

4. Avoid long paragraphs and small fonts (less than size 10 is not a good idea). Use an easily readable font and make sure that only one font is used throughout. Ensure your resume format style is consistent.

5. Do not use the first person (e.g. “I am technical”, “I worked at XYZ”). Use short sentences (e.g. “Increased sales by 10%”).

6. The resume format in Canada means your document should typically be a maximum of two pages. If you do not have a lot of experience, then one page should suffice. If you have 10+ years of experience, then three pages may be acceptable.

7. Don’t waste valuable space. Only list experience relevant for the role to which you are applying.

8. Convert all terms to the Canadian equivalent. For example, use terms like “high school”, “GPA” (Grade Point Average — the equivalent for university grades), “internship”, etc.

9. Do not list personal interests or hobbies unless they are achievements that add to your character. Remember: a good resume sets you apart from other candidates. Mentioning that you like football, play piano, and enjoy the cinema is not likely to boost your chances of success.

10. Include skills such as being able to speak a second language or mastery of particular computer applications. Ensure you only include those that may be relevant to the job you’re applying for.

11. Avoid sending a generic resume to dozens of employers. Your time is better spent being selective and tailoring your resume for each specific job and company you’re applying to.

12. Use a nice resume format, and where possible, have it proofread by an expert in the field. Grammatical and spelling errors on a resume can harm your first impression.

13. Do not list that you are on a “gap year” or “one-year work permit”. Companies want to employ committed candidates who are going to contribute to their success. In an interview, you can discuss your immigration status if the employer requests more information. If you are in Canada on a temporary permit, research longer-term permanent residence options so you can discuss ways of potentially staying in Canada once your work permit expires.

14. Do not include the word ‘resume’ or ‘CV’ at the top of the page, or the date you prepared the document.

15. Do not sign your resume.

16. Do not list references, or include the line ‘references available on request’. It will be assumed that you have these ready, so don’t waste valuable space on your resume by stating this. Have references’ names and contact details ready to present when requested, and make sure they’re willing to speak positively on your behalf.

Preparing for the resume format in Canada

Here’s some useful advice to help you craft the contact, career summary, and work history sections of your resume.

Contact information:

• Do not list your date of birth, gender, marital status, religion, or parents’ names. It’s not required under the employment law in Canada, and is not a necessary part of the resume format in Canada.
• Where possible, ensure you have a Canadian address listed. More importantly, include a Canadian cell phone number.
• Ensure that you have an email address that looks professional. It should include a combination of your first name and last name, and avoid slang terms or nicknames. Avoid using email addresses with country-specific domains, like .co.uk, or .co.in. If necessary, set up a new email address for your job hunt.
• Add your LinkedIn profile URL. Create a custom LinkedIn profile URL so that it isn’t as ‘clunky’ as the one that LinkedIn designated for you. You want to make it as easy as possible for the employer to find your profile, particularly when viewing a printed version of your resume. Also, ensure it’s up to date and that your profile contains a strong summary. See this great guide on being successful with LinkedIn .

Professional / career summary

This is a micro resume that will allow the reader to understand your goals and how you can help their company.

Three or four short sentences will suffice to set the tone for the detail that follows. Outline what makes you different, whether it is personality, technical ability, managerial skills, team building, or some other talents.

Begin by stating your objective clearly. You should list the title of the role you want to target — if you’re responding to a job posting, this role will be the job you’re applying for. Being a “jack of all trades” is not a good thing for an employer. If you want to be a Project Manager, then call yourself a Project Manager. Don’t expect a company to identify what you should be.

If you would like to do two or three different things, then build two or three specific documents, and follow the resume format in Canada in each. Listing “Marketing / Admin / Finance Professional” is not attractive, so have a clear focus for the relevant job application.

• Mention how many years of relevant experience you have, what type of experience this is, and your future ambitions.
• Avoid generic comments (e.g. “honest and hardworking professional”). Instead, give the reader a true insight into your strengths and objectives (e.g. “able to continually identify cost savings and efficiencies, and routinely trusted to manage projects effectively, mentor junior colleagues, and solve problems”). These should be specific to you, and not things that anyone can write on their resume.
• Mention your career aspirations, whether this is professional designations, supervisory work, managerial work, or other work.

Work experience in Canada

Include details of relevant roles. Prospective employers will already be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of these roles, so there’s no need to list them.

Use three or four concise bullet points instead of long lists.

Think about key achievements in each previous role, then build each point by highlighting a specific problem you encountered, actions taken, and results accomplished. Every successful problem solved brings either an increase in revenue or decrease in costs. This is how managers think, so speak their language.

Problem/Situation >> Action taken >> Results/Achievement

Problem/Situation:  Every action that you take in a job is for a reason. Who asked you to perform this task? What was the objective? What was the background behind the task or the problem you set out to solve? Identify what the problem or situation was that prompted the action.

Action taken: This is where you incorporate the duties that you took to resolve a problem or situation.

Results/Achievement: Some questions to think about: What would happen if you didn’t perform this task as well? What was the impact of doing the task well? Did you gain recognition for this work? Did it improve efficiency, increase sales, reduce costs, or all of the above? Where possible, try to quantify the result in terms of either a percentage or Canadian dollar value.

Here’s an example that would meet the resume format in Canada requirements:

Existing phone / communication system was outdated and causing frustration for the staff. Investigated affordable alternatives and project managed the installation of the new system. It increased productivity and efficiency, received widespread positive reaction from staff, and by allowing us to spend more time with customers, generated an estimated $20k in extra sales in six months.

Provide your potential employer with three or four short illustrations of your abilities that showcase what you have achieved in previous roles.

If you’re unsure whether a point you made is useful or not, keep asking yourself “so what?” and try to develop it using the above formula. Explore the impact of your actions and try to bring each point back to a business problem with quantifiable results. Think about the increase in revenues, decrease in costs, or customer satisfaction.

For occupations that are project-driven, outlining your projects in a clear manner is key. Do not make a long list of every project. Focus on outlining a few key projects that demonstrate your skills. Remember, you don’t need to tell them everything you have done — you can do this in the interview . Ensure that you highlight the project name, an outline of the project (e.g. if construction then mention commercial, industrial, residential, etc), project duration, the value of the project in Canadian dollar terms, as well as your role.

Other employment resources in Canada

For vacancies, visit our Moving2Canada Jobs Board . Now that you’ve mastered the resume format in Canada, here are some more resources to help you win interviews and find a job in Canada.

• Practical advice for finding jobs in Canada
• 57 interview questions you could be asked
• How to master networking in Canada
• How to create a targeted job application

Remember also not all recruitment is done through formal interview processes. Find out how to use an informational interview as a tool to develop your network.

Get planning for Canada!  Did you know that Canada offers free pre-arrival services for approved immigrants who plan to arrive in the country within the next 12 months? You can get free employment mentorship and more through government-funded pre-arrival services. Find out about pre-arrival services provided by Canada InfoNet here:

Register for a Moving2Canada account to receive Canadian resume and cover letter templates. You’ll also receive our free Getting Started Guide, which gives exclusive access to our proven techniques for accelerating your job search in Canada.

Happy job hunting!

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Canadian Resume Format: How to Make a Canadian Resume

12 min read

If you’re looking to find a job in Canada, you need to have a resume -- not a CV – to begin your job search. This is easy for job seekers who already use a USA resume but will require more adjustments for job seekers with a more comprehensive CV. In this article, we will go over some essential tips for creating a Canadian resume. At the end of the article, we’ve included a sample resume you can use to increase your chances of getting a new job in Canada.

ZipJob has a wide network of career experts and hiring managers, so the information on our blog is based on real experience from people who know how to land a job in the US and Canada. Spoiler alert: they're pretty similar systems!

Is the Canadian resume format different from the American resume format?

So, we already spoiled it for you, but there aren’t a whole lot of differences between the Canadian and US resume formats. Both countries use what’s considered a traditional format that includes your contact information, a professional summary, your work history, and education. The biggest difference is in the language. For example, Canadian English uses the word “colour” whereas the US would use “color.” You’d also find metric units on a Canadian resume instead of the imperial system of measurement found on a US resume. 

The 3 resume formats you can use in Canada

There are only three types of formats you should use for a resume in Canada:

Traditional reverse chronological

Strategic functional resume

Balanced hybrid resume

All of these formats include the same basic information with a different layout.

EXPERT TIP: View 200+ more professional resume samples for all industries, along with a free template and a 2020 guide to writing resumes from our experts, just click here .

It is vital to choose the right resume format for the job. Your choice should be determined by the years of experience you have and the type of job you’re seeking. We’ll go into detail about when to choose a different Canadian resume format, but most job seekers use the reverse chronological resume format.

Most Canadian employers use an ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to screen your resume before it's ever seen by a human. About 75% of resumes are filtered due to applicant tracking systems and will never be read by the recruiter or hiring manager. Many times the candidate is qualified, but the resume is not optimized for ATS.

Key Takeaway

KEY TAKEAWAY: If you’re seeking a job in Canada, it’s important to use a proper Canada resume format to maximize your chances of securing employment.

The best resume format for a Canadian resume is the reverse chronological 

A reverse chronological resume details your job experience in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent position. This is the best resume format if you have at least some experience in the workforce. It is the best format to use for getting past the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that companies use because the scanning software can easily parse information from a reverse-chronological format. It’s also what hiring managers expect to see. 

To put it bluntly, there isn’t a human being alive who will read your resume. They’re going to skim through it until something jumps off the page at them. Then, they’ll stop and read. The reverse-chronological format puts things in a simple layout with strategically divided sections that lay out your career history in an easily digestible manner. 

However, if you are a recent college graduate or have significant work gaps on your resume, however, you should consider the hybrid or functional resume formats.

When to use a hybrid or functional Canada resume format

The functional resume is a versatile format that focuses on your skills and qualifications instead of experience. While your employment history is still included, it is usually listed after your skills and education section. That places greater emphasis on those skill sets, showcasing your suitability for the position. As a result, this option can sometimes be used effectively by newcomers to the workplace and those who are changing careers.

A hybrid resume retains the expanded reverse chronological work experience section, but it’s no longer the bulk of the resume. Instead, the skills section is also expanded to include a summary of qualifications in addition to the technical skills or core competencies section.

Top 3 things Canadian employers and recruiters want to see on a resume

You can maximize your odds of landing your dream job if you understand what Canadian employers want to see. That can help you to shape your Canadian resume format to fit those desires. Here are the questions you need to answer on your Canadian resume:

1. Hard skills

Make sure your Canada resume format emphasizes the technical skills needed to perform the job. These may include data analysis, language skills, computer skills, or similar qualifications relevant to the position.

2. Soft skills

Canadian employers appreciate soft skills on a resume, including people skills. These soft skills can include everything from communication and teamwork skills to problem-solving, flexibility, and the ability to learn and adapt. Include these vital skills throughout your resume with examples, results, and metrics.

3. Professional qualifications

Canadian employers, like most other employers, value relevant professional qualifications and achievements. Make sure you are qualified by the right institutions for the job you’re applying for.

EXPERT TIP: Enhance your resume with these 7 free certifications .

How to write a Canadian resume

Once you choose the format you’re going to use and have a list of your relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications, it’s time to write. Your resume should contain the following sections (at least):

Contact information: This is your name, location (with postal code), telephone number, email address, and any relevant social media profiles (like an optimized LinkedIn profile). Basically, the details that the hiring manager needs to get in touch with you if they want to call you for an interview.

Title and profile summary: At the top of your resume – just beneath your contact information – should be a title that mirrors the title of the job you’re applying to. It should be followed by a three to five-sentence paragraph that highlights your skills and qualifications in a way that shows prospective employers what you bring to the table for them. 

Skills: This is a simple list of up to 15 core competencies . It should contain a mix of hard and soft skills that are specifically tailored to the job you want. 

Work history: Whether you choose the reverse-chronological format or the hybrid format, you’ll always start your work history section with your most recent job. You’ll list the company name, the dates you were employed, the title you held, and three to five bullet points that call attention to the achievements you had in the position. From there, you work backward approximately 10 years to fill in the rest of your work history section. 

Education: The degrees you’ve earned, professional development classes you’ve taken, and any licenses or certifications you possess should go under “Education” at the end of the resume. 

It’s important that you use relevant keywords throughout your resume that are tailored to each job you want to apply to so that your resume makes it through the ATS. These programs are scanning resumes for those keywords, so not including them could be the thing that gets your resume rejected by the system. Being rejected by the ATS is one of the top reasons that job seekers are ghosted by companies – the human beings at the company won’t even know you exist.

The final step is to proofread and edit. If there is one thing that will turn a hiring manager off, that’s typos and grammatical errors. And it happens a lot! Do a quick search for the word “manger” on LinkedIn and you’ll see countless profiles where people use that spelling instead of the “manager.” Not only should you read your resume, but you should also have someone you trust read it to because your brain will interpret the words as they’re supposed to appear, not necessarily how they are actually written. 

Canada resume sample

They say seeing is believing , so to help you visualize all of these steps, here’s a sample Canadian resume. Use it as inspiration or as a template for how to format your own resume. 

Additional tips for writing a Canadian resume

To modify your resume to the Canada resume format, it’s important to pay attention to the small details.

1. Include only the relevant information

Starting with your contact information, include your name, location (city and province), phone, email, and LinkedIn profile URL at the top of your resume . If you have a second page, it should also include your name at the top of the page.

Keep your skills, experience, and additional resume information highly tailored to the job you're applying for. This might mean omitting jobs from 10+ years ago on your resume or adding in volunteer work.

2. Don't include too much information

Don't include any personal details like your date of birth, parent or spouse names, marital status, or identification numbers. Canadian employers don’t want to see this and may reject your resume automatically to avoid discrimination concerns.

3. Include a cover letter

Take the extra time to write a custom cover letter for each job you apply to. It's professional, polite, and shows that you care about this position. It's one of the best things you can do to stack up well against candidates with similar experience to you!

EXPERT TIP: Professional resume writers know how to organize your resume to appeal to hiring managers. Check out our guide to the best resume writing services to find your perfect fit!

Canadian resume vs. European resume

If you’re moving from Europe to Canada or vice versa, you’ll see a great difference in the format of the document you use to apply for a job. Mostly, you’ll see that European companies want a curriculum vitae (CV) instead of a resume. Because a CV is more of a chronicle of your career life, it’ll have a lot more information on it and, therefore, will be longer. A resume in Canada is generally one to two pages in length while the European resume (CV) is up to three pages in length. 

NOTE: In Canada and the US, using three pages can be seen as grandstanding and should be reserved only when you have a lot of career extras like specialized research or publications. 

Additionally, European resumes will contain the information that we mentioned in the “Don’t include too much information” section above, including date of birth, nationality, and marital status. If you’re writing a European resume, you’ll also find that different countries have varied requirements – for example, you wouldn’t include marital status on your resume in Germany – while all provinces of Canada would accept the same resume format. 

Canadian resume frequently asked questions (FAQs)

How long should my resume be? The general rule of thumb is that if you have less than 5 years of experience, then your resume should be on one page; on the other hand, once you get to 5 years of experience (and especially as you approach 10 years of experience), you’ve earned a second page. 

Should I include a photo on my resume? The short answer here is, “No.” The ATS can’t properly parse information from resumes that contain images. It would read the image as a bunch of funky characters which could cause the ATS to think your resume file is corrupt, causing it to be rejected. On top of that, some employers find photos on resumes to be unprofessional – as if the candidate thinks that their looks will help them land the job. 

Should I include references on my resume? Again, the short answer is, “No, never.” Don’t even allude to the fact that references are available. If the hiring manager wants references, they’re going to ask for them whether you have them available or not. The best thing to do is create a new document for your references so that when they ask, you’ll have it available to give over. 

Do I need to translate my resume into French? It depends on the job description. If it is written in French, then your resume should absolutely be translated into French. You’ll see this mostly in Quebec, but it’s possible to see it across all provinces. Don’t assume they’ll accept a resume in English unless the job posting specifically says they will. 

Does my Canadian resume need to include my salary history? It isn’t mandatory to include your salary history, but there are some employers who will ask for it. Even in those instances, it’s a good rule of thumb to have it separate from your resume whenever possible. 

Do hobbies, volunteer work, and interests have a place on my Canadian resume? You can definitely include your hobbies and interests. But remember, they’re not likely to be the things that get you an interview. So, if your resume is spilling over to three pages, consider deleting hobbies and interests. However, if you’re hobbies and interests are professionally relevant, then you probably want to try to find a way to include them. For example, if you are on the board at a local nonprofit organization and were able to raise some money last quarter to ensure the continuance of a failing program, then that would definitely be worth mentioning. 

Keep it simple

The resumes in Canada are very similar to resumes in the US, but vastly different from CVs in other countries. Stick to resume formats that employers will expect, and play up your strengths. By using these Canada resume format tips, you can increase your chances of securing an interview and landing an eventual job.

Good luck with your job search!

If you need a new resume for a job in Canada, ZipJob is ready to help you. Our staff of professional resume writers are fully versed in the ins and outs of what will be required by prospective Canadian employers and we’d love to be your partner in securing a new job.

Recommended reading:

Is There A Difference Between Canada and US Resumes?

How To Find A Job When Moving To Canada

Here is What a Good Cover Letter Looks Like

Marsha Hebert, Professional Resume Writer

Marsha is a resume writer with a strong background in marketing and writing. After completing a Business Marketing degree, she discovered that she could combine her passion for writing with a natural talent for marketing. For more than 10 years, Marsha has helped companies and individuals market themselves. Read more advice from Marsha on ZipJob's blog .

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Why do I need a Canadian Resume?

As a newcomer, finding a job in Canada is usually a top priority. The first step for your job search is to have a resume and a cover letter that you can share with potential employers or networking contacts. Resume formats from other countries will not necessarily work in the Canadian job market. On the other hand, a good Canadian-style resume will help you:

• Pass the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that many Canadian employers use
• Demonstrate your understanding of the Canadian job market
• Highlight your strengths and professional achievements,
• Position you as an ideal candidate for the role.

Who are these templates for?

These free resume templates are for newcomers who are looking for a job in Canada. Whether you’re just starting your career in Canada, re-entering the job market after a break, or exploring full-time job opportunities in a new industry, these free Canadian resume formats will lay a strong foundation for your job search.

How to create an impressive Canadian resume

An impressive Canadian resume must showcase your unique qualities and strengths that make you a good fit for the job. To do this, your resume should be concise, readable, distraction-free, and rich in keywords that match the job description. With the right resume format, you can draw recruiters’ attention to the strengths of your application, such as your stellar experience, skillset, and more. You can also minimize the visibility of weaknesses, such as employment gaps or lack of industry experience.

Unsure about which resume template is right for you? Download the Canadian resume format that best matches your experience level:

• Experienced professional with no major employment gaps, looking for a job in the same industry – choose the reverse chronological resume template
• Recent graduate OR looking to switch career fields – the functional resume may be the best fit
• Professional with limited experience, multiple short-term work stints, or significant work gaps – your may want to use the combination or hybrid resume .

For more tips and best practices on crafting a resume that will help you land a job in Canada, read our articles on Canadian resumes and cover letters and 10 resume mistakes to avoid while looking for a job in Canada .

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Home » Living in Canada » Sample Canadian Resumes

Sample Canadian Resumes

Resume or rather Résumé (also known as CV or curriculum vitae) is usually the first document that you submit to an employer when you apply for a job. Whether your resume is accompanied with a cover letter or not, it plays an important role in the employment process.

This post includes some sample resumes in the formats that are acceptable in Canada.

Chronological Resume

This is the most common format for Canadian resumes. A chronological resume highlights your work experience. It presents the experience in a reverse chronological order. In other words you specify your latest role first. This type of resume is useful when you seek a job relevant to your work experience.

Sample chronological resume

Functional Resume (Skills Resume)

If you are pursuing a career that is not very dependent on your past experience then you need to highlight your skills and education. Functional resumes also known as Skills resumes are ideal for such situations. New college or university graduates may also consider this type of resume to find a job.

Functional resume sample

Combination Resume

A combination resume is basically a combination of  both skills and work experience.

Combination resume sample

Sometimes you might be asked to submit a Detailed Resume . Such resumes are similar to combination resumes but you need to explain every achievement or duty in detail. A detailed resume may be several pages. However, a typical resume is usually two or less pages.

Some relevant articles:

• Job Search Websites in Canada
• Cold Calling for Job Search
• Take these 3 Steps to Work in Canada

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Canadian Resume Format

When I was planning to move to Canada, one of my big concerns was being able to get a job. And the first step in this was how to write my resume in the Canadian resume format.

Getting a job in Canada is different to what I’d been used to in the UK and took a bit of a different approach. But, by understanding these subtle differences, you can tailor your approach and find the job you’re looking for, just like I did (I’m happily employed in a senior position in a large Canadian firm).

This article will focus on one particular aspect of getting a job in Canada: how to create a resume for Canada in the Canadian resume format.

Our sample interview questions and guide is also useful to read when writing your resume. It can help you figure out the type of things hiring managers are interested in you demonstrating and are therefore good to highlight in your resume.

I’ve been through the process of adapting my CV (as I called it in the UK) to the Canadian resume format to get my job. And now, in a senior position in a large firm, I see tons of resumes of people applying for Canadian jobs.

These perspectives should make me well placed to give you the information you need to make your resume the best it can be and in the right format for the Canadian jobs market. 

So let’s dive in…

What is a Canadian style resume?

Canadian resume format, canadian resume format general rules, top 10: canadian resume common mistakes, canadian resume format samples, canadian resume template, functional resume.

A Canadian resume is not all that different to any other style of resume you’ve likely come across before.

There’s no fundamental difference in the general information you’re trying to get across in a Canadian resume.

There’s no difference between Canadian resume format and USA format, for example.

There are however a few subtle but important differences in emphasis and structure for the Canadian resume format compared to other countries.

But at the end of the day a resume is essentially a summary of your skills, employment and education and this is no different for the Canadian style of resume.

Any differences in how you write your resume for a Canadian job lies in how you might format and structure your resume; not a full overhaul of the substance.  

Does Canadian CV format differ from a Canadian resume format?

My experience is that Canadians use the terms CV and resume interchangeably.

Overall, resume is probably used more frequently but people will understand the term CV as well.

Generally a resume in Canada is the same as what you might know as a CV in other countries and Canadian CV format is the same as a Canadian resume format.  

There is one caveat to this however:

In some sectors, primarily academia, a CV or Curriculum Vitae in Canada often is different to a resume. In such circumstances, CV tends to mean a much more thorough and lengthy overview of your career than a resume. But realistically if it’s this type of CV you’re being asked for it will be abundantly obvious.

For the vast majority of typical jobs and situations, a CV and a resume are the same thing.

The two main formats of resumes used in Canada are the traditional reverse-chronological resume and the functional resume.

The most common Canadian resume format is the reverse-chronological resume. This is the traditional resume format you’re probably familiar with that focuses on your employment history and experience. For most people with employment history in the same field as the role they’re applying for, this is the best format to go for.

Reverse-chronological is the format most hiring managers are most familiar with and therefore makes it easy for them to understand your experience.

The other type of resume is the functional resume which focuses more on your skills rather than employment history. This type of resume may be better suited to those that are looking to change to a new career field or are recent graduates with little employment experience.

Typically, a reverse-chronological resume should have this structure:

• Resume header with your basic information
• A personal summary
• Your professional experience
• Education and professional qualifications

The format is not set in stone and can be flexed to suit your particular situation: the job you’re applying for, your experience or lack thereof, etc. But generally you should be hitting all of the above items at some point in your resume.

You would still cover the same topics as above in a functional resume but just change the emphasis – that is you’d focus more on skills rather than employment history. Move the skills section to the front and beef it up significantly. You can read more about a functional resume later in the article .

Let’s go into a bit more detail about what each of those headings above actually mean and what you should cover in each:

Resume header

Your name and contact details right at the top of the resume.

My experience is that Canadians really go for putting post-nominal letters after their name (i.e. qualification and accreditation letters etc.). So include any relevant post-nominal letters.

I also include my right to work status in Canada such as Canadian Permanent Resident . Include it if that right to work is going to be a definite positive rather than a potential drawback (i.e. if the employer is going to need to sponsor a work visa or such).

I think it’s important to set that right from the start because if the employer scans down your resume and sees work experience and education from a foreign country they might immediately wonder about your visa status – or certainly I do. Often that’s because a role may or may not be doing visa sponsorship.

One final point for the top of the resume: do not write the words resume or CV !

Personal Summary

A paragraph or two to set the scene for your resume. Highlight your best achievements and breadth of experience.

If you’re changing careers talk about your skills that are transferable to your new career. If you’re new to the workforce draw on your skills and education and amp up what skills you gained during any summer jobs, coursework and so forth.

This is your chance to make a good first impression so spend time making sure the paragraph is concise, impactful and relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Professional experience

This is the bit that will probably take up the bulk of the space on your resume (depending on if you’re doing traditional chronological resume or functional resume).

Summarise each role you’ve had from your most recent position backwards – i.e. reverse chronological order.

For each position, you should give:

• The company at which you were employed and city/country where you were based.
• Your job title. Be careful here that the title you state matches what your position actually was as this is one of the most basic reference checks your new employer will do. On the flip though, some professional positions don’t have concrete job titles so if you can massage your title to emphasise the relevance to the role you’re applying to then do. For example if you were a Financial Audit Manager but you’re looking to move out of Financial Audit then you could just put the title Manager. Also, if it makes sense with your experience and the role you’re applying to, try to show career progression in your job titles. Customer Service Representative to Senior Customer Service Representative – that kind of thing.
• The dates you were employed in that role. You don’t need to be specific down to the days of the month here. Month and year will do at the most. This can help if you have small gaps in your employment.
• Details of the role. For each role, you want to write about what you did. Your responsibilities, achievements and assignments. Exactly how best to do this will depend on your experience and the role you’re applying for. But the structure I like is to start with a short introductory paragraph covering what your role was. And then go into bullet points to highlight key assignments, responsibilities & achievements. Remember to not only write what you did but back it up with quantifiable achievements. And, as always – remember to tailor everything you write to match the job you’re going for. Study the job description carefully and make sure you’re demonstrating that you have experience that meets the responsibilities listed in the job description. Use some of the exact same words in your resume as is in the job description’s skills and responsibilities. You could use our sample interview questions to help get the juices flowing or focus your mind on what type of things the hiring manager will be interested in you demonstrating.

Education and Professional Qualifications

List any relevant professional qualifications you have with the dates obtained.

Include any degrees you have along with the dates you attended and the name of the institution.

If you’ve not graduated yet, give your expected graduation date. Include your Grade Point Average (GPA) if you have one.

You can include any relevant coursework, courses, extracurricular activities etc. depending on how light the rest of your resume is.

Honestly I’m not all that certain how useful this section is if you’re doing a reverse-chronological order resume and you’ve written the rest of your resume correctly. Any skills you mention here should really have already been given in context in your professional experience section.

I’ve certainly never given someone an interview because they’ve written “Teamwork” or other generic skills in this section.

If you are going to include this section, make it focused and have a mix of hard skills and soft skills.

Where this section does become more useful is if you’re not doing the traditional reverse-chronological CV.

Then it’s a different ballgame altogether.

More on this in the functional resume section .

Conventions of what to include in your resume or CV vary between counties so here’s a list of some do’s and don’ts, and general points to apply when writing a Canadian resume.

For a job in Canada:

• Never include a photo of yourself in a resume in Canada.
• Do not include your date of birth or any other personal information (other than your name and contact details).
• A Canadian resume should be two pages long. One if you’re junior. Having a longer resume doesn’t demonstrate that you have tons of experience, it just highlights that you can’t convey information concisely or that you haven’t put in the effort to tailor your resume for the role. Figure out the key information you need to get across for that role and then cover that. Needlessly long resumes are always a red flag when I’m reviewing them. Get to the point!
• It’s really important that you make sure your resume is written in perfect English or French with correct grammar. Strong communication skills are crucial for so many jobs. If an employer sees a resume that doesn’t demonstrate a solid grasp of the English or French language it’s likely you won’t get any further in the recruitment process. If you’re writing your resume in a language that you’re not completely fluent in, this is particularly important. Ask someone whose first language is French or English to read through your resume before you submit it. I find a tool called Grammarly is really helpful here. It’s like a super-enhanced grammar checker. But it also checks your document for clarity and engagement like overly wordy and unclear sentences, and passive voice misuse (as per the tip below). Basically it can help make your resume more impactful. You can check out the tool here . Incidentally, if you need help with your spoken English for interviews, a good app my friends and colleagues use is the ELSA app . It’s pretty cool with some fancy AI to teach fluent English. If you want to purchase the PRO pack then you can use this link to get a 80% discount on the lifetime option or a 30% discount on the 1-year option (which is better than the upgrade option you’ll be given in the app). Either way, you can check the app out here . *
• Use short sentences written in the active voice detailing tangible things that you did (not we , or the team ). I hit my sales target of $xx every month .
• Make sure it’s tailored to the position you’re applying for. Always spend the time to read through your resume putting yourself in the position of the hiring manager. Is your resume clearly highlighting the things that would be important to them? Make sure they don’t have to fish out the relevant experience and skills in a sea of generality. Use the key skills and behaviours from the job description.
• If you don’t have any work experience in Canada, try and highlight any experience you have working with international teams. Or projects you’ve done in other countries. Especially if you’ve worked with Canadian teams. My experience is that Canadians really value Canadian work experience so anything you can do to show that you’re adaptable to different ways of working is a bonus.
• If you have professional qualifications from a country other than Canada you may want to convert them to the Canadian equivalent so that they’re more recognized. In many cases this can be done via a conversion course. For example if you qualified as an accountant in India, you may wish to convert your qualification to a Canadian CPA. Most Canadian professional bodies have pages on their website which describe the pathway for converting international qualifications to Canadian certifications.

My team is based across Canada and I see hundreds of resumes every month from people applying for jobs across the country.

Based on this experience, here is my top 10 most common resume mistakes:

Mistake 1: Too long

This is the most common issue I see. Unless you’re writing an academic CV (in which case different rules apply) a resume in Canada shouldn’t be more than two pages.

Most hiring managers will stop reading after the first page, and will often make a decision within a few seconds on whether to read your resume in depth or close it and move on to the next candidate.

Keeping your resume short and to the point makes it more likely that the hiring manager will quickly appreciate your experience and (hopefully!) put you through to the next stage. If your resume is long, the most likely outcome is the hiring manager will just get bored reading it.

Mistake 2: Poor spelling and grammar

It’s surprising how many resumes I see that have spelling mistakes.

Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors tell the hiring manager you haven’t taken care and attention in preparing your resume and therefore you likely won’t take care and attention in performing your job! Stop reading and move on to the next candidate!

Run your resume through a tool like Grammarly . It does a good job of finding grammatical errors but also checks your document for clarity and engagement like overly wordy and unclear sentences, and passive voice misuse. Basically it can help make your resume more impactful. You can check out the tool here . *

Mistake 3: Failure to customize

While its time consuming and, let’s face it, a bit boring – customizing your resume to suit every role you apply for is very important. Tailored resumes stand out from the crowd and demonstrate the most relevant skills and experience to the hiring manager.

Mistake 4: No examples

If you’re saying you have a specific skill or type of experience, it’s important that you back that up with quantifiable examples. This grounds your resume and makes it real for the hiring manager.

Consider the following two statements:

• I have a proven track record in increasing sales.
• I have a proven track record in increasing sales – in my role as sales manager for Hat Boxes Inc. I increased sales from $20,000 per month to $50,000 per month over a six month period.

Or, these two statements:

• I am a team player.
• I am a team player. I initiated the practice of a weekly 15-minute team activity over Zoom to improve team morale and productivity during the pandemic.

Giving specific examples adds weight to your resume and provides evidence that you’re the right person for the role.

Mistake 5: Obvious exaggeration

It’s very important to sell yourself, however don’t fall into the trap of blatantly overstating your experience. Over exaggeration is easy to spot in a resume and makes the hiring manager question everything you’ve written.  

Mistake 6: Not getting to the point

This is tied to mistake 1 but, be concise and to the point. Don’t write a paragraph when a sentence will do. Most hiring managers have limited time and will appreciate succinctness.

Mistake 7: Misreporting dates

The most basic checks done by employers will quickly identify any incorrect dates on a resume. Be honest and make sure all of your dates are accurate.

Mistake 8: Underselling yourself

While some people have a tendency to exaggerate, others don’t sell themselves enough. Don’t feel arrogant or have self-doubt about your achievements, your resume is your opportunity to sell yourself! 

Mistake 9: Not explaining gaps

Many people have gaps in their experience, and this in itself doesn’t need to be a problem. But if you’ve not explained the gaps in your resume then it raises alarm bells. Maybe you were raising your children, maybe you had a career break or studied. Explain it in your resume!

Mistake 10: Messy formatting

Margins not aligned, different fonts and sizes, misaligned bullets and so much more. Poor formatting immediately creates a bad impression for the hiring manager and says you don’t have good attention to detail.

Make sure your resume is tidy and well formatted and don’t go overboard on trying to make it look fancy.

I think that the best formatting for a resume is to keep it simple. This makes it immediately easy for the hiring manager to see the structure.

I do see some Canadian resumes that have templates with more elaborate formatting, sidebars and other elements but my approach is to keep is simple.

Using all the guidance outlined above, I’ve created what I think is a good Canadian resume sample. Click below to see the Canadian resume format sample.

Obviously this is just one sample of a Canadian resume and it won’t be right for every situation. Like I said at the beginning, nothing needs to be set in stone. Use the sample resume for guidance rather than being bound by it.

I think that the best formatting for a resume is to keep it simple to make it immediately easy for the hiring manager to see the structure.

I do see some Canadian resumes that have used a template with more elaborate formatting, sidebars and other elements but my approach is to keep is simple.

With this in mind, I’ve created a Canadian resume format doc that you can download and use to format your resume. You can download the Canadian resume template for free in the form below. The resume template is in Word format.

Subscribe to our mail list and we'll email you our Canadian resume template

* You can unsubscribe at an time using the link in the emails.

I’ve focused this article on the reverse-chronological format of Canadian resumes but, as I mentioned at the beginning, there is another Canadian resume format you may want to use called a functional resume.

When to use a functional resume?

If you want to change career fields, have just graduated or generally do not have a lot of employment history directly related to the job you’re applying for then a functional resume might be a good fit for you.

This is because the functional resume format emphasise the transferable skills you have rather than highlighting the lack of experience.

Let’s cover how you do this:

Functional resume format

In a functional resume format you put the skills section right at the top and label it “Skills and Abilities” or some wording that makes sense for you.

List in detail the skills that you have that would be beneficial to the position you’re applying to.

In a functional resume you talk about your skills in general (rather than tied to roles); you’re removing the link of listing skills under a particular previous job to just talking about them all together. So the skills don’t need to be in chronological order or one skill per role or anything.

To demonstrate what I mean, we can use some examples from the chronological resume sample above.

All we need to do is reword the skills listed under the “Professional Experience” section and put them in the “Skills” section on the functional resume.

Reverse-chronological format work experience statement:

• Leadership and career development:  I am an approachable and enthusiastic leader.  I prioritise regular career and development conversations with my team, both formal and informal.  In May 2017 I was selected for the executive leadership programme where I participate in regular workshops to further develop my leadership skills.
• Data privacy & regulatory compliance assurance : I developed a regulatory assurance approach for GDPR (new European data privacy legislation), working closely with the legal department and a third party provider.  My project established a GDPR-compliance assurance approach within Murray-Nader’s European operations.

Rewritten for a Functional resume:

• Leadership and career development:  I am an approachable and enthusiastic leader.  I prioritise regular career and development conversations both formal and informal.  I have completed an executive leadership programme where I participated in regular workshops to further fine-tune my leadership skills.
• Data privacy & regulatory compliance assurance: I have extensive knowledge in developing regulatory assurance approaches for GDPR (new European data privacy legislation).

So with a little tweak to each statement we make them standalone skills, detached from specific roles, which you can include in the skills section of a functional resume.

The benefit over a functional resume if you’re changing career fields is you can highlight the relevant skills you have without highlighting the fact they were in a different field.

By making your skills stand alone in a skills section you remove the risk of them being ignored under a job role that the potential employer doesn’t think is relevant to the position you’re applying to.

* All of the products and services I recommend on Canada for Newbies are independently selected based upon what I’ve personally found to be useful. When you get Grammarly or ELSA using one of the links in this article, I might earn a small affiliate commission. It won’t cost you anything at all and I would never recommend something I don’t believe in or use myself.

So that’s my advice on creating a great Canadian resume to get a job in Canada.

Remember to check out our guide on how to ace your interview and sample interview questions . Not only is it useful prep for interviews it can also help focus your mind to the type of things hiring managers are interested in you demonstrating. And therefore good to include in your resume. Check out the article:

I’d love to hear any feedback on how you’ve found trying to get a job in Canada. Please drop me a comment about anything below.

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31 thoughts on “Canadian Resume Format”

Thanks for this! Now I have an idea of how to ace a Canadian Resume.

I’m really glad you found it useful! Good luck with the job hunt – I hope you find your dream job! 🙂

This is so helpful. Thanks 🙏

Ah excellent – really happy you found it helpful! Good luck with the job hunt!

Hey Andrew,

First of all thank you for this great article it was very informative however I’m not receiving anything whenever I hit the subscribe button,

Hi there, As in you’ve not received the email with the link to download the resume template? I’ve had a look and the email did send to you – have you checked your junk folder? Let me know if you can’t find it and I’ll resend. Cheers!

Thank you for the useful content you shared. It gave me the willingness to start a new career path. Regards and cheers.

No problem! Glad you found it useful. Good luck with the new career!

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this piece! It was so precise and informative.Now I know how to write my resume for my dream job💅💯💯

Glad you liked it. Good luck with the dream job! 🙂

Oh! This is really helpful! Now i know how to make my cv very concise and brief using any of the styles you explained above. I must thank you Andrew! God bless you!

You’re welcome. Hope the job search goes well!

Thank you very much Andrew for the information and the guidance.

No problem. Happy job hunting! 🙂

Thank you very much. This was really useful.

No worries – glad it was helpful! 🙂

Thank you so much for this useful information shared by you.

No problem! Good luck with your job hunt! 🙂

Very informative. Thanks for sharing. Time to get that Canadian job now!!!

This was really helpful and the simplest one that I found on the internet.

Glad you found it useful! Happy job hunting!

Very informative and precise. Thanks for sharing this article.

Glad you found it useful. Thanks for the comment! 🙂

Excellent tutorial and model to follow to create a professional resume. Good tips, and clear guidelines. Thanks

Thanks very much, glad it was useful!

thank you very much for this wonderfull informations provided here keep it up

Very useful and really guide me through with important tips to get a job with a winning Canadian CV

Sir, I am happy I came across this section. I can rewrite my resume and with this I know I will find a job in Canada soon. This information you shared here is worth more than my time going through them. Thanks.

thanks for this information. this is very insightful that can land us on our dream job in Canada.

Thanks for this! Helpful information Thanks a lot.

Glad it was helpful. Good luck with the job hunt!

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• Mar 13, 2020

Tips for Preparing a Resume for Canadian Immigration

Updated: May 18, 2020

We often find that one of our clients’ biggest challenges when applying for work in Canada is the formatting of their resume and cover letter. Canadian job resumes and cover letters have a different format than those from other countries. There is specific information that should and should not be included. There are also trends in terms of how to format the information.

Resume Format in Canada

Your main objective when creating a job resume is to show the reader (i.e. Human Resources Specialist, Hiring Committee, etc.) that you have the skills and experience needed for the job you are applying to.

We always suggest that applicants select the key duties they performed in previous jobs that would be applicable to the job they are currently applying for. You should aim to highlight the skills you have that make you a qualified candidate for the role.

A Canadian resume should contain the following information:

Contact information (email, phone number, and current address)

Professional/career summary

Work experience (i.e. your position, the name of the company or institution you worked for, the years you held the position, and key responsibilities you had or duties you performed in your position)

Education (the program of study, name and type of institution that issued the degree, the type of degree you earned, and the years you attended)

Other Canadian Resume Tips

Make your resume readable. Use a clear, easy-to-read font. Make sure it’s not too small and is consistent throughout the resume. We often suggest using a font like Arial or Times New Roman in pt. 12.

Ensure that you have an email address that looks professional. It should be a combination of your first name and last name. Avoid slang terms or nicknames. It can also be helpful to avoid using emails with foreign domains, like .co.uk, or .co.in.

What NOT to Include

Some information that is traditionally included in resumes around the world is not considered relevant or useful in Canadian job resumes. Information that you should not provide in your Canadian resume includes:

Sexual orientation

Nationality

Marital status

Citizenship status

Family status

Canadian Job Resume Sample

Canadian Resume Examples & Templates:

Indeed Resume Samples

Resume Genius Samples

Monster Professional Resume Examples by Industry

Free Professional Resume Examples and Templates

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Student Resume

• Thread starter sandydsouza
• Start date Feb 13, 2012

sandydsouza

Hi.. I am undergraduate.Can anyone help me in writing student resume?  

Champion Member

Hi, Thanks Rossie for sharing your resume.  

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addition information: name address Telephone: email PROFILE: This should be a short summary of your experience, skills and abilities, and be contained in four to six lines of text. Only list the attributes that will be of interest to an employer; do not include irrelevancies Achievements A lot of students/graduates won't have an achievements section, because you won't have anything to write here. If you can think of some achievements please list 3 to 6 achievements which you feel will be in line with your next position. Do not list achievements which are not in line with what you want to do next. Bullet point your achievements to make them stand out. Start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards from there Education/Qualifications Only list the most important qualifications EXPERIENCE: When you are describing your experience for each position you should start with the strongest point in your favour and then work backwards. If you have a lot of points to put under one specific job you may want to break this description into two or more sections. You could break up this section into responsibilities and achievements or you could break it up into specific functions, e.g. management, Make sure you stress your responsibilities and achievements under each job which will be useful in your next job, but do not repeat information in your CV as this will just bore the reader. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Include any additional information, such as whether you have a driving licence - if you have a clean driving licence, say so. Date of birth, marital status and nationality can usually be left off your CV. INTERESTS: Keep this part fairly short, but make sure you list any current positions of responsibility REFERENCES: You should include two referees, one of which should be an academic reference, e.g. your personal tutor, while the second reference could be from an employer you have worked for.  

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Application for a Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa - TRV)

You need to give your biometrics.

In most cases, you now need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply.

Find out who needs to give biometrics and how the new application process works.

Biometrics and the application process

We refer to your fingerprints and photo as biometrics. We collect biometrics for most applications. Find out what happens from when you submit your application to when you get to Canada and where biometrics fits in the process.

1. Apply for your visitor visa, study permit or work permit

If you want to visit, study or work in Canada, make sure you’re eligible to apply. Use our application guides to help fill out your application properly, then submit your application.

Avoid processing delays by sending us a complete application .

2. Get your fingerprints and photo taken

If you’re between 14 and 79 years old, you probably need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics).You only need to give your biometrics once every 10 years to make repeat trips to Canada easier.

• You must pay the  biometrics fee   when you submit your application.  Otherwise you may experience delays.
• Get this done  as soon as you get the letter  from us that tells you to give biometrics.
• You have  30 days  to do this from the date on the letter.

Find out who needs to give , how to give , and  where to give your biometrics .

COVID-19: Biometrics deadline

Some biometrics collection sites are closed. If the site closest to you is closed, we’ll extend your deadline to give your biometrics. Find out how COVID-19 is affecting biometrics .

3. We process your application

After we get your biometrics, we start processing your application. See how long it takes to process your application.

If we need more information from you, we’ll contact you.

4. We make a decision on your application

When we finish reviewing your application, we let you know if you’re approved to come to Canada. If you are, we issue your documents.

If your application is refused, we send you a letter that tells you why.

5. You travel to Canada (if you’re approved)

Make sure you travel with the documents we gave you. This includes travel documents like a visitor visa, study or work permits or an eTA (electronically linked to your passport).

Airline staff and border service officers at ports of entry will ask to see your travel documents. If you don’t have them, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada.

Make sure children under 18 travel with the right documents .

6. We check your identity when you arrive in Canada

When you arrive, we check your identity to make sure that you are the same person who was approved to travel to Canada. We may use your biometrics to do this.

If we can’t verify your identity, you may be detained by a border services officer. These officers help protect the health and safety of Canadians.

If the officer determines that you’re not admissible to Canada, you won’t be allowed to enter Canada. If you came by air, you’ll have to take a return flight to where you came from.

7. You’re allowed to enter Canada

If you pass the identity check and meet the entry requirements , the border services officer stamps your passport and lets you know how long you can stay in Canada. You’re normally allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months.

Children under 18 must meet the same entry requirements as adults. The border services officer may ask minor children to show other documents depending on whether the child is travelling alone or with someone.

Basic entry requirements

You must meet some basic requirements to enter Canada. You must:

• have a valid travel document, like a passport
• be in good health
• have no criminal or immigration-related convictions
• convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country
• convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
• The amount of money you will need depends on how long you will stay and if you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.

Some people are not admissible to Canada, which means they are not allowed to enter the country. You can be inadmissible for several reasons, including being involved in:

• criminal activity
• human rights violations
• organized crime

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons.

Find out more about inadmissibility .

Biometrics fee

• Individual  applicant: CAD $85
• Families applying at the same time : maximum total fee of CAD $170
• Groups of 3 or more performing artists and their staff  who apply for work permits at the same time: maximum total fee of $CAD 255

You can apply online or on paper (in specific situations) for:

• visitor visas (also known as temporary resident visas)
• super visas (for parents and grandparents)
• transit visas

Apply online

Before you apply, make sure you need a visa to enter Canada. Find out what document you need to enter Canada .

You must have both of these to apply online:

• access to a scanner or camera to create electronic copies of your documents to upload
• a valid credit card to pay with

How you apply depends on what you apply for. Select the document you want to apply for to get instructions:

Visitor visa : Option 1 of 3

Apply for a visitor visa

Super visa (for parents and grandparents) : Option 2 of 3

Apply for a super visa

Transit visa : Option 3 of 3

Apply for a transit visa

Apply on paper (in specific situations)

Before you apply , make sure you need a visa to enter Canada. Find out what document you need to enter Canada .

Read the instruction guide to get all the details to apply on paper.

• Instruction Guide 5256

Once you have read the guide, you can prepare your application package. You must select the country or territory from which you will apply to get your local visa office instructions.

Permanent residents of Canada

We do not issue temporary resident visas (TRV) to permanent residents (PR). If you are outside Canada without a valid PR card, you must apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) instead. If you meet the requirements for a PRTD, you can return to Canada as a PR.

If you no longer want to be a PR, or if you know you do not meet the requirements to keep your PR status, you can voluntarily give up (renounce) your PR status to apply for a TRV.

Application for Temporary Resident Visa

You can’t fill out and save the application form using your Internet browser. To use the form, you need to:

• Use your computer (Mac or PC). The form won’t open on mobile devices (iPads, tablets, mobile phones, etc.)
• Install Adobe Reader 10 (or higher)
• Download the PDF file to your computer . Save the file in a place you can remember.
• Make sure you use Adobe Reader to open the form. Sometimes if you try to open the form directly, it will use your Internet browser to try to open it.

Note: If you are applying online , you don’t need to print and sign the form. Leave the signature section empty.

Get the form

• Application for Temporary Resident Visa [IMM 5257] (PDF, 556.66 KB) June 2019

Having issues with the form?

• I can’t open my visa application form in PDF format. What can I do?
• After clicking the “validate” button on my visa application form, nothing happens and I don’t see the barcodes. Why is this happening?

How-to video

Find out if you are eligible

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