Citizenship and Immigration Canada
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Information for Canadian employers: How to hire
In most cases, there are four steps to hire a temporary foreign worker from outside Canada.
You may not need to do every step, depending on the job offer and the foreign worker’s country of citizenship and last permanent residence.
Employers and foreign workers must provide accurate and complete information or the application process may be delayed.
Learn about:
The four steps to hire a temporary foreign worker
You should also read the information in the Temporary Foreign Worker: Guide for Employers in the Related Links section at the bottom of this page. The guide lists the steps of the application process, the information and documents required to complete the application, and contact information if you need help during the application process.
These are the four basic steps for hiring a temporary foreign worker.
1. Determine if you need to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO).
Information about LMOs is in the Eligibility section in Related Links at the bottom of this page.
2. Apply for an LMO from Service Canada (if required).
Information about LMOs is in the Eligibility section in Related Links at the bottom of this page.
If you get a confirmation letter of a positive Labour Market Opinion, you will need to send key documents to the foreign worker you wish to hire. The foreign worker will use these documents to apply for a work permit.
Send the following documents to the foreign worker you wish to hire:
- a copy of the positive LMO confirmation letter for the job offer, including the file number; and
- a detailed job offer. The job offer should include:
- A description of the job duties and responsibilities
- A list of education, skills and experience that workers must have for the job. Include a list of licences and professional credentials
- Details on when the job will start and end. Work permits are only issued to foreign workers who are coming to work in Canada for a limited (temporary) time. If your workers are coming to live and work permanently in Canada, they must apply for permanent residence through the Skilled Worker program. You can find information on this program under Related Links at the bottom of this page
- Details of the salary you are offering, including wages and other forms of payment (for example, room and board or commission.) Service Canada will check that the wages and working conditions you offer are consistent with the Canadian labour market
- Your name and address, and the address where the foreign worker will be working. CIC and Service Canada officers will check that your business and the job being offered are genuine. Include the name and phone number of a contact at your business who is familiar with the job offer so that CIC and HRSDC can confirm the offer.
The foreign worker will include the confirmation letter of the positive LMO and your written job offer in his or her application for a work permit.
3. Tell the foreign worker(s) to complete the work permit application.
Information about work permit applications is under Related Links at the bottom of this page. In most cases, foreign workers must apply for a work permit at a Canadian visa office abroad.
4. A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer will issue the work permit at the point of entry when the foreign worker arrives in Canada.
Learn more about this process in the After Hiring section in the Related Links at the bottom of this page.
Other important hiring information
- Depending on their country of citizenship, foreign workers may require a temporary resident visa (TRV) to enter Canada. You can find information about the TRV under Related Links at the bottom of this page.
- Depending on the type of work to be done in Canada and where they lived in the last year, foreign workers may have to take a medical examination before entering Canada. More information about medical examinations is in the Quick Find section on the right-hand side of this page.
- Make sure you hire someone with a valid work permit, and follow the conditions described on work permits. See the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for more information on employers’ responsibilities.
Hiring in the province of Quebec
If you are a Quebec employer, the person you wish to hire may also need to get a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) from the Quebec government before a work permit can be issued. Information about the CAQ can be obtained from the Ministère de l’Immigration et des Communautés culturelles (Quebec immigration) under Related Links at the bottom of this page. You can also see www.micc.gouv.qc.ca, or contact either a Canadian embassy abroad or a Canada Immigration Centre in Canada.
