If your business is facing a labour shortage, or you are unable to find the talent your business needs, why not look outside of Canada? Your business may be eligible to access a pool of foreign workers to hire on a temporary basis when Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not available. The Temporary foreign worker program or TFWP is a program of the Canadian Government to allow employers in Canada to hire foreign workers. The program is jointly administered by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and White Moon Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Canadian employers are required to obtain a document from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)/Service Canada stating that they can hire the temporary worker. This is known as a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), formerly known as a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that gives the employer permission to hire a temporary foreign worker. It shows that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and no Canadian worker is available to do the job.
Employers can hire temporary workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP).
International Mobility Program (IMP) lets employers hire temporary workers without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Exemptions from the LMIA process are based on:
- Broader economic, cultural or other competitive advantages for Canada; and
- Reciprocal benefits enjoyed by Canadians and permanent residents.