Temporary Foreign Worker Program
Overview
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) allows Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals in positions where no qualified Canadian or permanent resident is available. The employer must first obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), demonstrating that the hiring will not negatively impact the Canadian labour market. Once an LMIA is obtained, the foreign national can apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit. The TFWP is distinct from the International Mobility Program (IMP), which covers LMIA-exempt work permits.
The TFWP operates under two main streams based on the prevailing wage for the occupation in the region: the high-wage stream (at or above the provincial/territorial median wage) and the low-wage stream (below the median wage). Each stream has different requirements, caps, and restrictions.
Eligibility
High-wage stream
- Wage offered must be at or above the provincial/territorial median hourly wage
- Employer must include a Transition Plan demonstrating efforts to reduce reliance on temporary foreign workers over time
- No cap on the number of temporary foreign workers in the workforce
- Work permit can be issued for up to 3 years (extendable)
Low-wage stream
- Wage offered must be below the provincial/territorial median hourly wage
- Cap: employers in high-unemployment CMAs cannot hire new low-wage TFWs in some sectors (food service, retail — temporary moratoria as of 2024)
- Maximum 20% of the workforce in the same occupation can be TFWs (cap applies at the workplace level)
- Work permit limited to 2 years
- Employer must provide or pay for housing (in certain sectors)
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP)
The SAWP is a bilateral agreement between Canada and Mexico/Caribbean countries allowing seasonal agricultural workers to come to Canada for up to 8 months per year. SAWP workers are subject to different rules from the main TFWP streams and are considered a distinct sub-program.
Agricultural Stream
For agricultural workers from countries not covered by SAWP, the Agricultural Stream operates with a positive LMIA and allows longer stays than SAWP (up to 2 years).
Selection criteria
Application process
Employer process — LMIA application to ESDC
- Advertise the position for a minimum 4 weeks across multiple platforms (Job Bank mandatory; at least 2 additional Canadian recruitment sources)
- Submit an LMIA application to ESDC with evidence of recruitment efforts, wages, and working conditions
- ESDC assesses the application against the labour market impact criteria
- If a positive LMIA is issued, the employer provides a copy to the foreign worker
Worker process — work permit application
- Receive the positive LMIA and job offer letter from the employer
- Apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit (from outside Canada, or from within Canada if eligible)
- If approved, the worker receives an employer-specific work permit authorising work for the specific employer in the specific position and location
See the LMIA streams concept page for a detailed breakdown of ESDC assessment factors.