Temporary Foreign Worker in Canada

Temporary Foreign Worker

This program allows Canadian employers to hire foreigners to fill vacant positions for a temporary period. This program was launched in 1973, and ever since then has witnessed so many changes. In recent time, it evolved rapidly bringing both lower-skilled and highly skilled workers.

Basic Requirements

To be eligible for this program, you must meet certain requirements:

If possible, obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

  • Show evidence that you have enough funds, that will sustain you all through the stay
  • Get a medical examination and/ or police clearance form ( if applicable)

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

If a Canadian employer wants to hire a foreign national under this program, he/she must have an LMIA document, which shows that they are capable to hire a temporary worker. This document is known as ‘Labour market impact assessment (LMIA), it shows that they are indeed in need of a temporary worker, because there is no Canadian found that is interested in doing the work.

Work Permit

To work in Canada under this program, you must have a work permit; also the Canadian employer must provide an LMIA document. Usually, work permit can be applied from outside Canada, but most times you can apply for it when you come to Canada.

Temporary Foreign Workers Process

This process is made up of four essential steps:

Note: In certain circumstances, foreign workers are not expected to have a work permit. To learn more about this, you can read here

Step 1

This first step is highly essential- it means your future employer will need to have an LMIA document. The employment agency must apply with Services Canada, and then get a positive result- by this; we mean that Services Canada will prove that there is no Canadian citizen who is able to fill the vacant position.

Step 2

If the Canadian employer gets a positive LMIA, they will now present you with a temporary offer of employment, which must come with a detailed letter and a copy of the positive labour market impact assessment.

Step 3

After gathering all the required documents, you can now apply for a temporary work permit.

Step 4

If your work permit application is approved, it will now be issued to you at the point of entry (POE) by border service officer.