Can the person work without a permit?
Only a limited exemption or genuine business-visitor activity permits this.
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Choose the legal route first
Five questions organize almost every foreign-worker hire.
A visitor visa, an offer letter and a work permit are different things. The route depends on the activities in Canada, the employer, the worker’s citizenship and status, the job, the location and the intended duration.
Confirm the immigration strategy before setting a start date, making travel arrangements or allowing productive work to begin.
Do they hold an open permit?
Confirm its validity, restrictions and the employer’s obligations.
Is an LMIA exemption available?
Review FTAs, French speakers, transfers and reciprocal employment.
Does the employer need an LMIA?
Select the stream, wage, NOC, recruitment and compliance plan.
Can the job support PR?
Compare PNP, Atlantic, community and Express Entry options early.
The threshold question
What counts as “work” in Canada?
Work usually requires authorization
An activity is generally work when wages or commission are earned, or when it competes directly with Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the Canadian labour market.
- Unpaid activity can still be work.
- Foreign payroll does not automatically avoid Canadian rules.
- Remote, short-term, after-sales and training activity needs a fact-specific review.
Business visitors are different
A business visitor generally conducts international business without entering the Canadian labour market, while the main place of business and source of income remain outside Canada.
- Examples may include meetings, negotiations, conferences, eligible training or after-sales service.
- A visitor visa or eTA may still be required.
- Hands-on production, Canadian employment or longer assignments may need a work permit.
A visitor visa or eTA is a travel document. It does not, by itself, authorize employment or productive work in Canada.
Temporary Foreign Worker Program
LMIA-based hiring
When no exemption applies, the employer may need a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Service Canada before the worker applies for an employer-specific work permit.
High-wage
For wages at or above the provincial or territorial threshold. Recruitment, prevailing wage and usually a transition plan must be addressed.
High-wage requirements →Low-wage
Special recruitment, caps, housing, transportation and refusal-to-process rules may apply.
Low-wage restrictions →Global Talent Stream
Category A supports qualifying innovative employers; Category B covers listed in-demand occupations. It is faster, but still an LMIA.
Global Talent Stream guide →PR support
Some LMIAs support permanent residence, with or without a concurrent temporary work-permit strategy.
LMIA and PR planning →Agriculture and sectors
Primary agriculture, seasonal workers, caregivers, academics and other sectors can have distinct rules or exemptions.
Review the LMIA process →Recruitment and compliance
Advertise correctly, assess applicants fairly, retain records and provide the approved wages, duties and conditions.
Employer compliance →International Mobility Program
LMIA-exempt hiring
The IMP authorizes work permits based on broader Canadian interests or reciprocal benefits rather than a labour-market test.
Most employer-specific IMP hires still require the employer to submit the offer through the Employer Portal and pay the compliance fee before the worker applies. “LMIA-exempt” does not mean paperwork-free.
Free trade agreements
CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP and other agreements may cover specified professionals, traders, investors and intra-company transferees.
FTA work permits →Francophone Mobility
A French-speaking or bilingual worker with an eligible job offer outside Quebec may qualify without an LMIA.
Hire French speakers →Intra-company transfers
Executives, senior managers and specialized-knowledge employees may transfer between qualifying related enterprises.
Transfer criteria →Reciprocal employment
Reciprocal programs may support comparable international opportunities, including exchanges and some IEC categories.
Reciprocal permits →Young Professionals and Co-op
Eligible citizens of partner countries may qualify for employer-specific permits. Working Holiday is normally open.
IEC categories →Significant benefit and others
Entrepreneurs, academics, researchers, charitable or religious workers and others may fit a narrow exemption.
Other exemptions →Recruit and retain
Permanent residence can be part of the hiring strategy.
A job offer can support program eligibility or a provincial nomination even though Express Entry no longer awards separate CRS points for job offers. Compare temporary authorization and permanent residence together.
Plan, file, employ, retain
An employer’s practical checklist
Define the role
Confirm duties, NOC, location, wage, duration, credentials and need.
Compare routes
Check exemptions, open permits, IMP categories, LMIAs and PR.
Complete employer steps
Submit the LMIA or Employer Portal offer before the worker applies.
Maintain conditions
Provide the approved job and pay, retain records and prepare for inspection.
Employer compliance and audits
Approval is the beginning of the employer’s obligations.
Employers must follow the promises, terms and conditions under which a foreign worker was hired. The approved occupation, duties, wages, hours, working conditions and work location matter throughout the authorized employment period.
Federal authorities can inspect employers under both the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the International Mobility Program. An inspection may be random or triggered by a complaint, previous non-compliance or another compliance concern. It may be announced or unannounced, conducted virtually or on site, and can review records and employment conditions for years after the worker starts.
What inspectors examine
- The LMIA, offer of employment and employment agreement
- Actual wages, duties, hours, occupation and working conditions
- Business legitimacy and continued active operations
- Recruitment, transition-plan and job-creation commitments
Worker protections
- Compliance with employment, recruitment and workplace-safety laws
- An abuse-free workplace and access to required health coverage
- No recovery of prohibited recruitment fees from workers
- Housing, transportation and other stream-specific obligations
Records and cooperation
- Keep relevant employer and immigration records for six years
- Respond completely and on time to inspection requests
- Make managers, employees and records available for review
- Report material changes and address possible compliance issues promptly
Employer program directory
Detailed guides and planning tools
Let’s discuss your foreign worker needs
We make hiring foreign workers easier.
Foreign worker rules can be confusing. We bring clarity and make the process easier for busy employers.
From strategic planning to careful, reliable representation, we help you understand your options, prepare the applications and manage the process. Our aim is to make hiring foreign workers as straightforward and stress-free as possible.
Tell us about your business, the workers you need and any timing concerns. We can help.
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