Some temporary foreign workers can get a job in Canada without an LMIA thanks to these international agreements

Work permits given to foreign nationals in Canada can be broken down into two categories: those that require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and those that do not.

An LMIA is a document that some Canadian employers must obtain from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before they hire a temporary foreign worker (TFW). This document proves that the hiring of a TFW will only have a positive or neutral – that is, not negative – impact on the Canadian labour market.

Depending primarily on the positions they need to fill, Canada’s many international arrangements and agreements allow some employers to hire without an LMIA for TFWs from certain countries.

Occupation: Traders
Canadian employers hiring foreign nationals who work as traders can do so without an LMIA if the TFW is from any of the following six countries:

• United States
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Chile
• South Korea
• Peru

This is possible because of several international agreements Canada has with the above countries such as the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).