How Can Canadian Employers Hire Foreign Workers?
You can hire a foreign worker through one of two federal programs. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). The International Mobility Program (IMP), run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), covers hires that are exempt from the LMIA.
Some short-term visitors need no work permit at all. This guide shows you which route fits your hire, what it costs, how long it takes and what you must do once the worker starts.
Hiring foreign worker at a glance
Key takeaway
Start with one question: does this role qualify for an LMIA exemption? If it does, the IMP route skips advertising and ESDC review, so it is usually faster. If it doesn’t, plan for weeks of advertising plus months of ESDC processing before the worker can even apply for a work permit.
What Is the Difference Between the TFWP and the IMP?
The key difference is whether you must first prove, through an LMIA, that no Canadian or permanent resident was available for the job. A TFWP hire always leads to an employer-specific work permit. Most employer-sponsored IMP hires do too, but the IMP also issues open work permits, such as post-graduation and spousal permits, that let the worker work for any employer.
For every IMP category, the exemption codes, costs and employer duties, see our International Mobility Program guide.
TFWP vs IMP at a glance
| TFWP (LMIA required) | IMP (LMIA-exempt) | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | ESDC reviews the LMIA; IRCC issues the permit | IRCC |
| Advertising first? | Yes: 4 weeks (high-wage) or 8 weeks (low-wage) | No |
| Employer fee | $1,000 per position | $230 employer compliance fee |
| ESDC wait (mid-2026) | About 80–90 business days high-wage, about 70 low-wage, about 10 for the Global Talent Stream | No ESDC step |
| Permit length | Up to 3 years (high-wage); up to 1 year (low-wage) | Set by the exemption category |
| Best for | Any role where no exemption applies | Intra-company transfers, trade agreement professionals, French-speaking hires, significant benefit cases |
ESDC averages change monthly. These are ESDC's reported averages for mid-2026, not guarantees. The work permit application to IRCC takes extra time on both routes.
What Are the Steps to Hire a Foreign Worker in Canada?
Most hires follow the same four steps. You skip the LMIA in step 2 when an exemption applies.
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1
Check whether you need an LMIA
Look at the job, the worker's citizenship and the work location. If an IMP exemption fits, you skip the LMIA. If not, decide which LMIA stream applies.
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2
Get the LMIA or submit the offer
For an LMIA, advertise first (unless your stream is exempt), then apply to ESDC. For an exempt role, submit the job offer in the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the $230 fee. The portal gives you an offer number to send to the worker.
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3
The worker applies for the work permit
The worker applies to IRCC with the LMIA or the offer number. Timing depends on their country, the permit type and the job. IRCC issues the visitor visa or eTA the worker needs to travel when it approves the permit.
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4
Stay compliant
Pay the promised wage, keep the same duties and work location, report changes, and keep records for 6 years. ESDC and IRCC can inspect your records.
Can the worker bring family?
Often, but the rules tightened on January 21, 2025. A spouse or common-law partner can get an open work permit only if the worker holds a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a TEER 2 or 3 job in a listed occupation, and has at least 16 months left on their permit. Dependent children no longer qualify for open work permits, though school-age children can usually attend school in Canada. Read about the 2025 open work permit changes.
How Does the LMIA Process Work?
An LMIA is ESDC’s confirmation that hiring a foreign worker won’t hurt the Canadian labour market. You must show you tried to hire Canadians and permanent residents first. The rules depend on the stream. For a deeper dive, see our LMIA guide.
For: jobs paying at or above the provincial or territorial median wage.
- Advertise for at least 4 consecutive weeks within the 3 months before you apply: on Job Bank plus at least 2 other methods, one of them national.
- Invite every Job Match candidate rated 4 stars or more within the first 30 days.
- Submit a transition plan showing how you will reduce reliance on foreign workers.
- ESDC average in mid-2026: about 80–90 business days.
More detail: High-wage LMIA guide.
For: jobs paying below the median wage.
- Since April 1, 2026, advertise for at least 8 consecutive weeks within the 3 months before you apply.
- Use at least 2 extra methods, each aimed at a different under-represented group, and show efforts to recruit youth aged 15 to 30.
- Invite every Job Match candidate rated 2 stars or more within the first 30 days.
- Low-wage foreign workers are generally capped at 10% of your workforce at that location (20% in some sectors, such as construction and hospitals). Rural employers in participating provinces may qualify for 15% until March 31, 2027.
- ESDC won’t process most low-wage LMIAs in metro areas with unemployment of 6% or higher. From October 9, 2026 to January 7, 2027, that includes Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.
- Permits are limited to 1 year. ESDC average in mid-2026: about 70 business days.
Global Talent Stream: for in-demand tech and highly specialized roles. There is no minimum advertising period, and ESDC averaged about 10 business days in mid-2026. See our Global Talent Stream guide.
Agricultural Stream: for primary agriculture jobs. ESDC averaged about 3 to 4 weeks in mid-2026. Stream-specific recruitment, housing and transportation rules apply.
For: supporting a worker’s permanent residence with a job offer, without issuing a work permit.
- Advertising rules similar to the high-wage stream apply.
- Since March 25, 2025, a job offer no longer adds points in Express Entry. Check whether the worker’s permanent residence program still benefits before you apply.
- ESDC average in mid-2026: about 85 to 100 business days.
One mistake in your job ad can sink the application. Your ad must include every item ESDC requires and run on Job Bank plus at least 2 other sources. At least one recruitment activity must stay active until ESDC makes a decision.
Treat it as a real search: collect résumés, screen applicants, interview the best and write down why each one wasn’t suitable. That record is how you prove an honest effort to hire locally.
You apply through the LMIA Online Portal, using the same Job Bank employer account you used to advertise. Even if your stream is exempt from advertising, you still need the account.
Expect to upload proof of recruitment and business documents such as T2 Schedules 100 and 125, your latest PD7A statement, your latest T4 Summary and your business licence.
The fee is $1,000 per position, so three positions on one application cost $3,000. You can’t recover this fee from the worker.
In our practice, ESDC usually calls Global Talent Stream employers for an interview and often emails questions in other streams, but every officer is different. Prepare for a call either way.
Expect questions about your business, why you need the worker, how you recruited and what you are offering. Send the person who actually ran the hiring, such as your HR manager.
In our practice, the decision often arrives within days of the officer’s final questions. It comes by email and in the LMIA portal. If ESDC refuses and you believe the decision is wrong, you can ask for a reconsideration.
With a positive LMIA, give the worker a signed job offer that sets out the title, duties, pay and pay schedule, hours, work location, benefits and paid time off. The worker then applies to IRCC for the work permit and can start once it is issued.
Which Workers Can You Hire Without an LMIA?
If the worker and the job fit an IMP exemption, you skip advertising and ESDC review. You submit the job offer in the IRCC Employer Portal and pay the $230 employer compliance fee. The portal issues an offer number starting with “A”, which the worker uses in the work permit application. Learn more in our International Mobility Program guide.
Popular LMIA-exempt routes
Intra-company transferees
Who it covers
Executives, senior managers and specialized-knowledge staff moving from a related company abroad to its Canadian branch, subsidiary or affiliate.
Key rule
The worker needs at least 1 year of continuous full-time work with the related company in the last 3 years.
Trade agreement professionals
Who it covers
Citizens of partner countries under agreements such as CUSMA (U.S. and Mexico), CETA (EU), the Canada–UK agreement, the CPTPP and Canada's agreements with Chile, Peru, Colombia, Korea and Panama.
Key rule
Each agreement lists its own categories and occupations. The job must match the list exactly.
Francophone Mobility
Who it covers
French-speaking workers hired for jobs outside Quebec.
Key rule
Most occupations qualify, but primary agriculture does not. The worker proves French ability, usually with an approved test.
International Experience Canada
Who it covers
Young people, usually 18 to 35 (18 to 30 for some countries), from countries with a youth mobility agreement with Canada.
Key rule
Candidates need an invitation from a pool, and quotas fill each year. Young Professionals permits need a job offer; Working Holiday permits don't.
Significant benefit
Who it covers
Workers whose work brings a significant economic, social or cultural benefit to Canada, such as some entrepreneurs and highly specialized technical workers.
Key rule
Officers apply this narrowly. You need strong, objective evidence of the benefit.
Reciprocal employment
Who it covers
Roles where Canadians have similar opportunities abroad, such as exchange professors, coaches and some multinational staff exchanges.
Key rule
You must prove reciprocity, for example through an exchange agreement or a global mobility policy that sends Canadians abroad.
Related guides: intra-company transfers, C11 entrepreneur work permits and Francophone Mobility updates. IRCC publishes the current list of International Experience Canada countries and quotas.
Who Can Work in Canada Without a Work Permit?
Some short-term activities need neither an LMIA nor a work permit. The person still needs the right entry document: an eTA or a visitor visa, depending on citizenship.
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Business visitors
Meetings, negotiations, training or after-sales service, without entering the Canadian labour market.
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Performing artists, athletes and coaches
Including team members, judges, referees and similar officials.
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Public speakers and conference organizers
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Clergy and religious leaders
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News reporters and media crews
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Expert witnesses, investigators, examiners and evaluators
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Aviation accident and civil aviation inspectors
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Transport crew
Air, highway, maritime and rail crew in international transport.
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Emergency service providers
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Foreign government officers, representatives and military personnel
Including family members of foreign representatives.
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Health care students
Short clinical clerkships for students in health fields.
The exemption depends on what the person actually does in Canada, not their job title. If in doubt, get advice before they travel. See our business travel guide.
What Mistakes Get Employers Refused or Penalized?
Most refusals and penalties we see in our practice come from a handful of avoidable errors.
Red flags
Box-ticking recruitment
Why it hurts
ESDC checks whether you truly tried to hire locally: the wage, where you posted, how you screened applicants and whether the ad matches the job.
What works instead
Run a real search, document every applicant and record why each one wasn't suitable.
Filing in a restricted city
Why it hurts
ESDC returns most low-wage LMIAs from metro areas with 6%+ unemployment without processing them.
What works instead
Check the current list on the day you apply, and whether your sector is exempt or an LMIA-exempt route fits.
Changing the job after approval
Why it hurts
Paying less, changing duties or moving the worker breaks the conditions of the LMIA or job offer.
What works instead
Keep the wage, duties and location you promised. Get advice before any change.
Charging the worker
Why it hurts
Recovering the LMIA fee or recruitment costs from the worker is prohibited.
What works instead
Budget the $1,000 fee per position as a business cost.
Assuming the family can work
Why it hurts
Since January 2025, many spouses no longer qualify for open work permits, and dependent children don't.
What works instead
Check family eligibility before you make the offer, so the worker can plan.
Losing the paper trail
Why it hurts
Inspections can look back 6 years. Missing records can lead to fines or a ban on hiring foreign workers.
What works instead
Keep recruitment, payroll and job records for 6 years.
How Can Sobirovs Law Firm Help Your Business?
Hiring rules changed several times in 2025 and 2026: longer advertising for low-wage jobs, metro-area restrictions and tighter family permits. Our employer team helps you choose the right route early and build a file that stands up to review.
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Choosing the right route
TFWP, an IMP exemption, or no work permit at all.
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Recruitment file review
Before you submit, not after ESDC asks.
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LMIA applications
High-wage, low-wage, Global Talent Stream and PR Stream.
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Employer Portal offers and work permits
Including intra-company transfer and trade agreement permits.
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Compliance checks
Before an ESDC or IRCC inspection, not during one.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Speak with a licensed Canadian immigration lawyer about your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring Foreign Workers
Generally, yes. A Canadian employer can hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (with an LMIA) or the International Mobility Program (LMIA-exempt). You must meet federal rules, pay the $1,000 LMIA fee per position or the $230 employer compliance fee, and follow any provincial rules for your work location.
Anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more. An LMIA-exempt hire skips ESDC entirely. An LMIA hire adds 4 to 8 weeks of advertising plus ESDC processing. In mid-2026, ESDC averaged about 10 business days for the Global Talent Stream, about 70 for low-wage jobs and about 80 to 90 for high-wage jobs. The work permit application comes after that. A complete file avoids delays from follow-up requests.
Not in the legal sense. People often say “sponsor”, but employers don’t sponsor workers. You make a job offer and, where needed, get an LMIA. The worker then applies for their own work permit.
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) lets Canadian employers hire foreign nationals when qualified Canadians and permanent residents aren’t available. ESDC runs the LMIA part. You must first get a positive LMIA, which shows you made genuine efforts to hire locally. Streams include high-wage, low-wage, Global Talent, Agricultural and Permanent Residence.
The International Mobility Program (IMP) lets you hire a foreign worker without an LMIA. It covers intra-company transferees, professionals under trade agreements such as CUSMA, CETA and the CPTPP, French-speaking workers outside Quebec, youth exchange participants and significant benefit cases. Under Canada’s levels plan, the 2026 target is 170,000 IMP workers compared with 60,000 under the TFWP.
For the full list of categories, exemption codes, fees and employer obligations, read our International Mobility Program guide.
The family can usually come, but not everyone can work. Since January 21, 2025, a spouse or common-law partner qualifies for an open work permit only if the worker holds a TEER 0 or 1 job, or a listed TEER 2 or 3 job, and has at least 16 months left on their permit. Dependent children no longer qualify for open work permits.
Keep the wage, duties and work location stated in the LMIA or job offer. Keep all documents and records for 6 years, report changes as required, and never recover the LMIA fee or recruitment costs from the worker. Non-compliance can lead to a warning, fines or a ban on hiring foreign workers.
If you believe the officer made an error, you can ask ESDC to reconsider or seek judicial review in the Federal Court. You can also fix the problems and apply again, which means a new fee and, in most streams, new advertising. In our practice, reviewing the refusal reasons first saves time and money.
