Temporary workers
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC 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 or permanent residents 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 also allows for certain foreign nationals to work without a permit when authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
- 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
- Steps to determine work and assessment of work permit applications
- Step 1: What is work?
- Step 2: Authorization to work without a work permit
- Place of application
- Refusal to process applications: Protecting workers from abuse and exploitation
Processing
- Step 3: Employer reviews and procedures
- Assessing the genuineness of the offer of employment on a work permit application
- Review of wages, occupation and working conditions provided to previous temporary workers
- Assessing employer eligibility to access the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility program (IMP) – Public list of employers who have been non-compliant
- Employer name changes and corporate restructurings
- Step 4: Temporary workers: Eligibility and admissibility (conditions, medical requirements, urgent referrals and more)
- Step 5: Work permit issuance prohibitions
- Work permit issuance
- Open work permits
- Employer-specific work permits — General processing — International Mobility Program
- Regulated or certified occupations – Processing of work permit applications
- Conditions and validity period on work permits
- Urgent referrals process for work permits
- Quebec cases (Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program)
- Priority processing (14 days) of work permits under the Global Skills Strategy
Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA)
- Labour Market Impact Assessments Overview
- Labour Market Impact Assessment Review
- Revocation or suspension of labour market impact assessment and effect on work permit
- Refusal to process or suspension of the processing of a labour market impact assessment application
- Caregivers
Labour Market Impact Assessment exemptions (LMIA)
Note: Below are most frequently used instructions. Please see the table of contents for temporary worker instructions for a complete list of LMIA-exempt instructions.
- 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]
- Vulnerable workers [R207.1]
- Humanitarian reasons [R208]
- Unique work situations or Officer quick reference guide to occupations
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
- International Mobility Program: Yukon Community Pilot (YCP) – Open work permits (LMIA exemption code A75)
Federal
- Public policy: Open work permits for applicants under the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway
- Open work permits for applicants under the Interim Pathway for Caregivers
- Open work permit pilot for permanent residence applicants in the spouse or common-law partner in Canada (SCLPC) class
- Work permits issued to seafood-processing workers
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (C15)
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot spouses (C17)
- Agri-Food Pilot Program
Employer compliance regime
- Employer compliance inspections
- 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 (if they are visa-exempt).
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