China's most wanted fugitive spends his days in Vancouver leafing through the help-wanted ads after the Canadian government issued a one-year work permit to the accused smuggling kingpin. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said Ottawa had 'little choice but to grant a work permit to Lai Changxing as he fights extradition to China, where he is accused of masterminding a massive smuggling and bribery ring. Permission for Lai to get a job is another twist in a case that is a thorn in Sino-Canadian relations. Canadian courts have ruled that people living in the country under an order preventing their removal have the right to get a job if they have no other means of supporting themselves, Mr Kenney said. Lai, 56, who has been in Canada since 1999 but had not been allowed to work, said his English skills were still poor and he was therefore seeking work within the large Chinese community in Vancouver. China has been pushing for Lai's return even though it does not have a formal extradition treaty with Canada. He has been fighting against a deportation order for several years, arguing that he would be executed if returned. Danielle Norris, a spokeswoman with Citizenship and Immigration in Ottawa, said a person under a removal order may legally receive a work permit only if the case has been referred for assessment, as is the case with Lai.