Compliance information for employers hiring temporary foreign workers

On this page

• Your obligations as an employer
• Reasons for an inspection
• Authority to inspect
• If your business is inspected
• What inspectors are looking for
• Results of the inspection
• Consequences of non-compliance

Your obligations as an employer

As an employer, you must:

• meet the requirements of the:
  • Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
  • terms of the LMIA decision letter
  • annexes to the decision letter
  • Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
• keep all relevant records for 6 years beginning on the first day of the period of employment for which the work permit was issued, including:
  • documents related to the LMIA
  • documents related to the conditions set out in the IRPR
  • conditions outlined the LMIA decision letter and its annexes
  • changes in housing conditions (for example, when a temporary foreign worker [TFW] chooses to leave housing provided by the employer for private housing)
• inform us (through the Employer Contact Centre: 1-800-367-5693) right away of:
  • any changes or errors with an approved LMIA
  • changes in TFW working conditions
• address any compliance issues and voluntarily notify us

Reasons for an inspection

Under the IRPR, we can inspect for the following reasons:

• we suspect non-compliance
• you were non-compliant before
• random selection
• a worker is or was subject to an order or rule under the Emergencies Act or the Quarantine Act
• we find a communicable disease at the worksite

Learn how to comply with pandemic inspections.

Authority to inspect

Under the IRPR, we can:

• inspect the LMIA decision letter and annex
• inspect the treatment of TFWs up to 6 years after the TFW has started working
• interview TFWs and employees to confirm you're complying with the program

Inspections may be:

• on-site or virtual
• announced or unannounced
• without a warrant (excluding private dwellings)

If your business is inspected

We'll let you know:

• the period under review
• the authority for the inspection
• the conditions with which you must prove compliance
• what happens if you don't respond to the inspection or don't comply with conditions
• instructions you'll need to follow:
  • what you must provide
  • who must be on hand for interviews

In the case of an on-site visit, our inspectors can:

• interview employers and employees
• request copies of documents
• take photographs, video or audio recordings during the inspection
• examine anything on the premises related to the IRPR and the LMIA approval letter
• request access to examine your computer or other electronic devices
• conduct inspections with other relevant authorities as needed
• in the case of an in-home caregiver, enter a private household with consent or with a warrant

When told of an inspection, you must:

• attend the inspection, answer questions and prove compliance
• follow-up in the time specified

What inspectors are looking for

During an inspection, we'll verify whether you follow the conditions set out in the:

• offer of employment
• LMIA decision letter, annexes and the IRPR

Inspectors can look at 29 conditions to make sure you:

• comply with all federal and provincial and territorial laws that regulate employment and recruiting
• remain engaged in the same business the as the offer of employment for the length of the TFW's work permit
• provide TFWs with employment in the same job as stated in the employment offer
• pay TFWs wages that are mainly the same but not less favourable than those in the employment offer
  • pay raises may be acceptable up to the current rate of inflation for the year, but the reason for the raise will be reviewed
• provide working conditions that are mainly the same but not less favourable than those in the employment offer
• make every effort to provide an abuse-free workplace
• fulfill LMIA commitments with regards to:
  • creating and protecting jobs for Canadian citizens and permanent residents
  • hiring or training Canadian citizens and permanent residents
  • developing skills and knowledge for the benefit of Canadians or permanent residents
  • transferring skills and knowledge for the benefit of Canadians or permanent residents
• prove efforts to hire and train Canadians or permanent residents (if that was one of the factors for hiring the TFW)
• prove that the information provided in the LMIA application is accurate
• provide adequate housing (Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program employers only)

Employers of live-in caregivers must show that the TFW:

• has private, furnished living areas in the household
• provides care to:
  • children
  • a person living with a disability without supervision, or
  • home support for seniors
• is paid the wages specified in the employment contract

Results of the inspection

If your inspection is satisfactory

You don't have to do anything; the inspection is complete.

If there are compliance issues

We'll send you an initial finding of non-compliance. We'll ask you to justify why you were not compliant with the program. When you provide your reasons, make sure to include:

• why you weren’t in compliance
• what you did to correct the non-compliance, and
• what you did to make sure that it doesn't happen again

If we accept the reasons, then your inspection is complete. No further action needed.

Notice of preliminary finding

If you fail to provide information, or if we don't accept your justification, we'll issue a notice of preliminary finding (NOPF). This includes the violations details and possible sanctions. We determine results for violations based on a points system.

Upon receiving a NOPF, you:

• will have the opportunity to respond and provide new information or documentation regarding the non-compliance
• will have 30 days from the date of the NOPF to respond to the inspector
• can request a time extension to provide your response (we consider these on a case-by-case basis)

Any new details you provide could affect the final decision. Once you've responded to the NOPF, your submissions will be reviewed and then you'll be notified of the final decision.

Notice of final determination

If the final assessment concludes with the violations, we'll issue a notice of final determination (NOFD), which explains:

• the reasons for the decision:
  • the conditions violated
  • how you failed to comply
• the consequences, and
• the next steps

Note: If, as a result of an inspection, you’re found non-compliant and become ineligible for the TFWP due to a ban or unpaid administrative monetary penalties, and you have outstanding LMIA applications, a positive LMIA won’t be issued and there will be no refund for LMIA processing fees.

Consequences of non-compliance

If we find you non-compliant for a violation, you could face:

• a warning
• penalties up to $100,000 per violation, to a maximum of $1 million per year
• a permanent ban from the TFWP and IMP for the most serious violations
• publication of your business name and address on IRCC’s Employers who have been found non-compliant page with details of the violations and consequences (business names aren’t published when the sanction is a warning)
• suspension or revocation of previously issued LMIAs