How to Hire A Temporary Foreign Worker As A Canadian Employer

Canadian employers have two main programs through which they can bring in international talent and labour: the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and; the International Mobility Program (IMP).

It all comes down to whether or not the particular job is one of the many exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

That’s a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that shows there is both a need for a foreign worker to fill a job and also that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do it.

Jobs that do not require an LMIA are generally those that:

• are included in an international trade accord;
• are part of an accord between the federal government and a provincial/territorial government, or;
• jobs that are deemed in the best interests of Canada.

There are two ways to determine whether a particular position falls under one of the many LMIA exemptions.

Employers can either:

• review the LMIA exemption codes and work permit exemptions, select the LMIA exemption or work permit code that seems most relevant to their hiring situation, and read the detailed description to see if an exemption code applies to them, or:
• contact the International Mobility Workers Unit (IMWU) if they are hiring a temporary foreign worker who is both currently outside Canada and from a country whose nationals are visa-exempt.

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