Canada's government has purposely cultivated an environment in which foreign embassies in Canada are able to assist their own and foreign-born citizens with any number of personal or business-related issues. The well-staffed consular offices can help you find an accountant to prepare your taxes, a lawyer to assist with business decisions or government programs that provide funds to support international trade.

While most of these embassies maintain websites, there are some offices, such as the Ethiopian embassy in Canada or the Ethiopian consulate in Canada that you must contact by telephone. Key points to keep in mind as you are working with foreign embassies and consulates in Canada are the following:

1. Know what information your country's foreign embassies and consulates in Canada offers to its citizens.

2. Get information about foreign embassies and consulates in Canada that is useful to United States citizens.

3. Stay informed of internships and job openings at Canadian consulate offices abroad.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Contact foreign consulates in Canada, such as the Australian embassy

Australians can learn how to work with the foreign embassies and consulates in Canada so that they remain closely connected with the visa application process. Australians can also use their Canadian embassy office to learn about the requirements for student visas.

I recommend: Assistance for Australians helps those traveling in Canada with tax, voting and citizenship questions. Australians can use Visas, Immigration & Citizenship to find out about health and character requirements for visas as well as about changes to online visa applications. Business owners should read Doing Business with Australia to learn about the unique program for helping Australian and Canadian companies with trade arrangements and to find foreign embassies and consulates in Canada. If you're living in Canada but want to travel in Australia, read Travelling to Australia to discover practical travel tips.

Get useful information for U.S. citizens at foreign embassies in Canada

American citizens working with foreign embassies and consulates in Canada can get individualized help through a number of programs, such as the Visa Waiver Program and the consular services program specifically designed to help Americans traveling in Canada.

I recommend: The United States Embassy Consular Services Canada explains which consular office American citizens can reach out for. Get information on The Visa Waiver Program, which permits citizens of other nations to enter the United States via Canada. Information for Americans answers your specific travel questions, whether you want to know about bringing a weapon into Canada or how to learn metric conversion. The Site Map directs you to tax preparers, attorneys and physicians in Canada.

Pursue educational and employment opportunities at Canadian consulate offices

Working with the Canadian consulate can also mean finding work in foreign embassies in Canada. Students and graduates alike can use the Canadian embassy to pursue valuable internships or to generate profitable business leads.

I recommend: Check Employment and Internships to learn about administrative staff openings at the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Search through Employment Opportunities for Vietnam to find out if you qualify for a position with the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. If foreign affairs is your field, use Job Opportunities to learn about diplomatic positions at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin.

The foreign embassies in Canada, headed by ambassadors, act as official representatives from each individual country. The foreign consulates in Canada serve as liaisons between the embassies, individuals and businesses. If you do business in Canada, you are more likely to deal with a consulate than an embassy.

There are foreign embassies and consulates in Canada from most countries in the world. It is possible to find foreign embassies and consulates in Canada in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. Larger countries may have consulates in other major metropolitan areas as well.

As you gather information about foreign embassies and consulates in Canada, you may find information regarding work in foreign embassies in Canada. Employment opportunities at Canadian consulate offices do exist but you must meet stringent guidelines to be hired. Regardless of the type of job, you must:

1. Meet all the qualifications set down by the foreign embassies in Canada.

2. Be fluent in the language of the foreign country as well as both English and French.

3. Hold a valid work permit.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Locate foreign embassies and consulates in Canada from other nations of the United Kingdom

Because Canada is part of a commonwealth, embassies from other nations in the commonwealth are 'High Commissions' instead of embassies. Although the name is different, the function is the same.

I recommend: The New Zealand High Commission in Canada operates from Ottawa. You can find New Zealand consulate in Canada offices in Toronto and Vancouver. The British High Commission office focuses on governmental affairs in Ottawa. Consulates serve the cities of Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, Calgary, Dartmouth, St. John’s and Winnipeg.

Work with foreign embassies and consulates in Canada from Europe

Many nations of Europe have active foreign embassies and consulates in Canada. Two major countries that have trade relations with Canada are Russia and France.

I recommend: The Russian consulate in Canada operates from Canada’s largest cities. The consulate in Ottawa shares its headquarters with the Russian embassy in Canada. France offers consulate offices in Montreal, Toronto, Quebec City, Vancouver, Moncton and Halifax, as well as an embassy in Ottawa.

Find foreign embassies and consulates in Canada from Africa and Asia

Many emerging industrial nations, as well as less developed countries, have both diplomatic relations and trade relations with Canada. While not all developing nations have consular offices, most have an embassy in Ottawa.

I recommend: The Ethiopian embassy in Canada and the Ethiopian consulate in Canada both share the same address. Located in Ottawa, the Iranian embassy in Canada also shares offices with the Iranian consulate in Canada. Ottawa is also the home of the Chinese embassy in Canada.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  In addition to being the liaison between Canada and their respective nation, foreign consulates in Canada also have the authority to help their citizens residing in Canada with visas. Other day-to-day operational matters also fall to the consulates.