People from all over the world want to get a Canadian work permit. And many businesses in Canada would love to fill unoccupied positions with an employee from outside Canada. But there is a lot of confusion about the process and authorizations required to match a company with a new foreign employee. Most foreigners need a job offer in order to get a work permit. Canadian employers have several options to hire a temporary foreign worker. There are some jobs that require a “Labour Market Impact Assessment” or LMIA, and others that do not.
There are many kinds of LMIA: high or low salary, Global Talent Stream, agricultural… which one is right for your company? Normally you have to prove that you have posted the job offer and were unable to hire a qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident. But there are many exceptions to this rule, depending on the type of job offered and the province of employment.
Currently, employers outside Quebec don’t need an LMIA to hire a francophone foreign worker. The government fee is just $230 instead of $1000 for an LMIA.
Also exempt from LMIA’s are foreigners who have applied for Canadian permanent residence, intracompany transferees and certain workers from countries with reciprocal free trade agreements with Canada.
At Azurverde Immigration Services, we help employers navigate the complexities of the hiring process for temporary foreign workers across Canada. Contact us for more information!