Hire Temporary Foreign Worker
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) enables Canadian employers to address labor shortages by temporarily hiring foreign nationals. This program is jointly managed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
- Labour Market Impact Assessments
- International Mobility Program
- Global Talent Stream
- High-Wage Workers
- Low-Wage Workers
- TFW in Quebec
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) assists Canadian employers in hiring the foreign talent they require while ensuring that these workers are treated fairly and provided with the rights and protections necessary for safe employment in Canada. Through the TFWP, employers can recruit temporary foreign workers under various streams, tailored to meet specific labor market needs
- High-Wage Workers
- Low-Wage Workers
- Global Talent Stream
- Foreign Agricultural Workers
- In-Home Caregiverss
- Foreign Academics
A key feature of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is the requirement for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Employers seeking to hire a foreign national through the TFWP must first secure an LMIA, which confirms that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position. Once the LMIA is approved, the employer can proceed with hiring the foreign worker, allowing the worker to apply for a Canadian work permit or, in some cases, permanent residence.
Several temporary worker pathways allow employers to hire workers without the need for an LMIA. These options fall under the International Mobility Program, which is specifically designed to facilitate the processing of LMIA-exempt work permit applications.
Labour Market Impact Assessments
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that evaluates the effect of hiring a foreign worker on the Canadian labor market. A positive LMIA confirms that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position, allowing the employer to proceed with hiring a foreign national.
A negative LMIA indicates that a position should be filled by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Learn more about Labour Market Impact Assessments, including requirements and application procedures.
International Mobility Program
The International Mobility Program (IMP) allows Canadian employers to hire temporary foreign workers without obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Although most employers are required to secure an LMIA when hiring foreign workers, specific circumstances qualify for LMIA exemptions. These exemptions are based on the following conditions:
- broader economic, cultural or other competitive advantages for Canada; and
- reciprocal benefits enjoyed by Canadians and permanent residents.
In order to hire a foreign worker through the IMP, a Canadian employer must follow three steps:
- Confirm the position or worker in question qualifies for an LMIA-exemption;
- Pay the employer compliance fee of $230 CAD;
- Submit the official job offer through the IMP’s Employer Portal.
Once these three steps are completed, the foreign national becomes eligible to apply for their work permit. LMIA-exempt workers may also qualify for expedited processing under the Global Skills Strategy if they are applying from outside Canada and their position falls under NOC Skill Level A or 0.
Global Talent Stream
The Global Talent Stream (GTS), launched in June 2017 as a two-year pilot program in collaboration with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), helps Canadian employers recruit highly skilled global talent to enhance their competitiveness on the international stage. Employers successfully referred to the program can benefit from expedited hiring processes for foreign nationals through the Global Skills Strategy.
High-Wage Workers
Employers looking to hire a temporary foreign worker with a wage at or above the median hourly rate for their province or territory must apply through the TFWP's high-wage worker stream. The process begins with the employer obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which confirms that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the role.
After receiving a positive LMIA for a high-wage skilled position, the employer must inform the foreign worker of the LMIA results and advise them to apply for work authorization in Canada before the LMIA expires. With the positive LMIA and a signed employment contract from the employer, the high-wage worker can apply for work authorization either through a work permit application or, if eligible, a permanent residency application.
Low-Wage Workers
Employers seeking to hire a temporary foreign worker at a wage below the median hourly rate for their province or territory must apply through the TFWP's low-wage worker stream. The process begins with the employer obtaining a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which confirms that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the position.
Employers should be aware that LMIAs for low-wage workers come with specific requirements to safeguard the workplace rights and safety of non-resident workers. After receiving a positive LMIA for a low-wage position, the employer must inform the foreign worker of the LMIA outcome and ensure they apply for work authorization in Canada before the LMIA expires.
After receiving a positive LMIA and an official signed employment contract from the employer, a low-wage worker can apply for authorization to work in Canada. This can be done through a work permit application or, if eligible, a permanent residency application.
Foreign Agricultural Workers
Employers seeking to hire temporary foreign workers for roles in agricultural production may be eligible to use one of the TFWP's agricultural streams. Canada provides two dedicated streams to simplify the hiring process for temporary foreign workers in agriculture. To qualify for either stream, employers must first ensure they meet the following general requirements:
- production must be in specific commodity sectors on Canada’s national commodity list;
- the activity must be related to on-farm primary agriculture in one of the following National Occupation Classification (NOC) Codes: 80020, 80021, 21112, 82031, 84120, 85103, and 85101
If an employer satisfies the criteria outlined above, they may qualify to hire temporary foreign workers through either the Agricultural Stream or the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) allows employers to hire temporary foreign workers to fill seasonal roles in agricultural production for a maximum duration of 8 months at a time. All positions must adhere to the general requirements for hiring foreign agricultural workers. Additionally, foreign workers must be citizens of Mexico or one of the Caribbean countries that are part of the bilateral agreement facilitating the SAWP. Employers who meet the SAWP criteria can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that reflects the specific requirements of the SAWP.
Employers hiring through the SAWP must fulfill specific requirements related to the transportation of workers to and from their country of residence, providing suitable housing during the work period, and ensuring adequate health and safety conditions in the workplace. The countries participating in the SAWP include: Mexico, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.
In-Home Caregivers
Importants Updates:
In 2019, the Canadian government introduced two new immigration pilot programs for caregivers: the Home Child Care Provider Pilot and the Home Support Worker Pilot. While these programs were set to launch in 2019, details regarding the exact launch date, eligibility criteria, and application process have not yet been released.
Note: Once these two pilot programs are launched, they will replace the existing caregiver programs—the Caring for Children Pilot and the Caring for People with High Medical Needs Pilot. Updates will be provided on this page as they become available.
Families wishing to hire a foreign national to provide care in a private residence for seniors, children, or individuals with medical needs may be able to do so through the In-Home Caregivers stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This stream allows families to hire temporary foreign workers, as long as the positions to be filled meet one of the following criteria:
Caregivers for children: For those providing care to children under the age of 18, the position must meet the requirements outlined in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) Code 44100.
Caregivers for persons with high medical needs: For those providing care to seniors or individuals with disabilities who require care, the position must meet the requirements for one of the following NOC codes: 31301, 32101, or 44101. Families wishing to hire in-home caregivers can apply for authorization through the TFWP, following the same application procedure as employers hiring through the high-wage and low-wage streams. Additionally, families hiring in-home caregivers must provide evidence that:
- They have a dependent family member requiring in-home care; and
- They have the financial capacity to pay the wages of the in-home caregiver.
Families hiring in-home caregivers for seniors and individuals living with disabilities are exempt from the $1,000 CAD LMIA application fee. Additionally, families hiring in-home caregivers for children will be exempt from the LMIA application fee if their gross annual income is less than $150,000 CAD.
Foreign Academics
Hiring foreign academics at post-secondary institutions can enhance the quality of education in Canada and help Canadian institutions remain globally competitive in academic research. To support this, IRCC and ESDC have established various procedures to facilitate the hiring of foreign academics. In many cases, foreign nationals hired for research positions at post-secondary institutions may be exempt from needing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a work permit, or both. Academics who do not qualify for an LMIA or work permit exemption must follow the standard procedures for hiring workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
Global Skills Strategy
The Global Skills Strategy is designed to expedite the processing of work permits for individuals in specific positions. Under this strategy, certain foreign nationals are eligible to apply for work permit processing within two weeks. To qualify for expedited processing, foreign nationals must be applying from outside of Canada and must meet one of the following two conditions for their work permit application:
- LMIA-exempt workers: travelling to Canada to work in a position at NOC Skill Level 0 or A; or
- Workers requiring an LMIA: possessing a positive LMIA issued through the Global Talent Stream of the TFWP.
If a foreign national meets either of these two categories they can apply for two-week processing of their work permit by submitting an online application through the IRCC web-portal. As well, accompanying spouses, common-law partners, and dependent children are eligible to submit applications for visitor visas, study permits, and work permits which will also be processed at an expedited rate.
Temporary Foreign Worker in Quebec
The province of Quebec retains significant autonomy over its immigration policies and procedures. For this reason, the province has a few unique distinctions regarding the hiring of foreign workers.
Language of Submission
All LMIA applications submitted in Quebec must be provided in French, except for LMIAs related to in-home caregiver positions. If an employer encounters difficulties with this requirement, they may contact ESDC, who will work with them to minimize the impact of the language requirement.
Application to MIDI
As with all Quebec-based immigration programs, applications must be approved by both provincial and federal authorities. Therefore, LMIA applications must be submitted to Service Canada for federal processing by ESDC, as well as to the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI) for provincial processing.
LMIA Exemptions
In some cases, MIDI has implemented a policy exempting employers from the requirement to obtain an LMIA for certain foreign workers. To qualify for this exemption, the employer must be hiring a temporary foreign worker who meets the following criteria:
- has a valid work permit;
- holds a skilled worker Certificate of Selection in Quebec (CSQ);
- resides in the province of Quebec; and
- has applied for permanent residency under the Quebec Skilled Worker class.
Facilitated LMIA
The facilitated LMIA process allows Quebec employers to apply for LMIAs without having to provide evidence of efforts to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the position. Learn more about the requirements for obtaining a facilitated LMIA.
Advertising and recruitment requirement exemptions
The Canadian government, in partnership with Quebec, launched a pilot project introducing new flexibilities for Quebec employers under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. From December 6, 2021, to December 31, 2024, the following NOC codes are exempt from advertising and recruitment requirements:
| 65100 - Cashiers |
| 65102 - Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers |
| 65201 - Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations |
| 65310 - Light duty cleaners |
| 65311 - Specialized cleaners |
| 65312- Janitors, caretakers and heavy-duty cleaners |
| 85121 - Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers |
| 85120 - Logging and forestry labourers |
| 95101 - Labourers in metal fabrication |
| 95103 - Labourers in wood, pulp and paper processing |
| 95104 - Labourers in rubber and plastic products manufacturing |
| 95106 - Labourers in food, beverage and associated products processing |
| 95107 - Labourers in fish and seafood processing |
