Temporary workers
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada staff. It is posted on the Department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
A work permit or authorization to work without a permit is required in order for a foreign national to be allowed to work in Canada under either of the following programs:
- the Temporary Foreign Worker Program
- Employers must obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire foreign workers to fill temporary labour and skill shortages. The LMIA verifies that there is a need for a temporary worker and that no Canadians are available to do the job.
- the International Mobility Program (IMP)
- The IMP lets employers hire temporary workers without an LMIA. Exemptions from the LMIA process are based on both of the following:
- the broader economic, cultural or other competitive advantages for Canada
- the reciprocal benefits enjoyed by Canadians and permanent residents
- The IMP lets employers hire temporary workers without an LMIA. Exemptions from the LMIA process are based on both of the following:
A complete list of all instructions related to temporary residence is available.
- See the table of contents.
For additional information, see the following:
- the transition table for information on where previous manual content can now be found in the new format
- the officer quick reference guide to occupations
Intake
- What is work?
- Authorization to work without a work permit
- Place of application
- Cumulative duration (four-year maximum)
- Employer review: Protecting workers from abuse and exploitation
Processing
- Steps to determine work and assessment of work permit application
- Eligibility and admissibility (conditions, medical requirements, urgent referrals and more)
- Employer reviews and procedures
- Priority processing (14 days) of work permits under the Global Skills Strategy
- Open work permits
- Employer-specific work permits with Labour Market Impact Assessment exemptions
- Conditions of the work permit including validity period
- Assessing medical requirements
- Urgent referrals process for work permits
- Quebec cases (Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program)
Labour Market Impact Assessments
- Overview
- Labour Market Impact Assessment validity and suspension, and duration of employment
- Limited validity period for LMIAs
- Occupations requiring lower levels of formal training
- Caregivers
Labour Market Impact Assessment exemptions
- LMIA exemption codes list
- Agreements [R204]
- Canadian interests [R205] (See LMIA codes)
- Applicants with no other means of support [R206]
- Permanent residence applicants in Canada [R207]
- Humanitarian reasons [R208]
- Unique work situations
- Special initiatives and pilot projects
Special initiatives and pilot projects
Provincial and territorial
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program (C18)
- Assessing a temporary foreign worker’s eligibility to work in Alberta in a compulsory certification trade position
- Canada-British Columbia Immigration Agreement: Foreign Worker Protection [R204(c)]
Federal
- Open work permit pilot for permanent residence applicants in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada (SCLPC) class
- Stream for lower-skilled occupations
- Work permits issued to seafood-processing workers
Employer compliance regime
- Employer compliance inspection
- Revocation of work permit due to public policy consideration
- Application of consequences where an employer is found non-compliant with the conditions
- Public list of employers who have been non-compliant
- Collecting administrative monetary penalties and determining when employers are in default of payment
- Exemption from the employer compliance regime for the International Mobility Program
Admission to Canada
In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements for the temporary resident category under which they have applied, applicants will require either a visa or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).
Visa
eTA
All foreign nationals who are visa-exempt are required to obtain an eTA to travel to Canada by air.
- What is an eTA?
- Who needs an eTA?
- Who does not need an eTA?
- How much does an eTA cost?
- How do clients apply for an eTA?
- For how long is an eTA valid?
- How does the eTA application assessment process work?
- How will the eTA requirement be enforced?
- What are the key dates for implementation of the eTA program?
- Procedures: manually processing eTA applications
- eTA: Client service
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