The International Mobility Program (IMP) is the umbrella framework under which IRCC issues work permits to foreign nationals whose employment in Canada does not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The IMP is distinct from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which requires an LMIA approved by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Under the IMP, the rationale for exempting a worker from the LMIA requirement is that their work creates a significant benefit to Canada, fulfils an international agreement obligation, provides reciprocal employment, or falls into another exemption category prescribed by regulation. The IMP is large and varied — it covers intra-company transferees, workers under trade agreements (CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP), international students with post-graduation work permits, open work permit holders, and dozens of other categories. Employers hiring through the IMP must submit a job offer through the IRCC Employer Portal and comply with IMP employer obligations. This page explains the IMP framework, the main exemption categories, and employer compliance requirements.

For current IMP categories, employer portal guidance, and compliance information, refer to the IRCC International Mobility Program page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s 186 — work permit exempt from LMIA requirement: lists foreign nationals who may work in Canada without a work permit (e.g., business visitors, certain diplomats, news reporters, crew members)
• IRPR, s 204 — LMIA-exempt work permits under international agreements: covers workers entering Canada under bilateral or multilateral free trade agreements such as CUSMA/USMCA (T categories), CETA (T23), and CPTPP
• IRPR, s 205 — LMIA-exempt work permits for Canadian interests: the broadest IMP category; covers intra-company transferees (C61/C62/C63), post-graduate work permit holders (C43), open work permit for vulnerable workers (A70), and other significant benefit or Canadian interest categories
• IRPR, s 207 — LMIA-exempt work permits for reciprocal employment: covers international youth exchanges (T11), bilateral youth programs (R10/T13), and similar reciprocal arrangements
• IRCC: International Mobility Program — employer obligations — canada.ca/imp

IMP vs TFWP — the core distinction

Canada has two parallel work permit frameworks for temporary foreign workers:

• Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP): requires the employer to obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from ESDC before the worker applies for a work permit; the LMIA confirms that no Canadian worker was available for the position; administered by ESDC
• International Mobility Program (IMP): the worker is exempt from the LMIA requirement; the exemption must be based on a specific regulatory provision (IRPR s186, s204, s205, or s207); administered by IRCC

The LMIA-exemption is not a blanket — the employer and worker must identify the specific exemption code that applies. IRCC assigns a two-character exemption code (e.g., C10, T24, R10) to each IMP category, which appears on the work permit and in the employer portal submission.

Main IMP exemption categories

The IMP covers more than 50 distinct exemption categories. The most significant groups are:

• International agreements (IRPR s204): workers whose employment in Canada is authorised by a free trade agreement or other international treaty — the major categories are:
  • CUSMA/USMCA (T categories): citizens of the United States and Mexico entering under the former NAFTA successor agreement — covering professionals (T24), intra-company transferees (T24), traders, investors, and others specified in CUSMA Chapter 16; see the CUSMA Chapter 16 page
  • CETA (T23): Canadian-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement — covers EU citizens in eligible occupations
  • CPTPP: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — covers citizens of member countries in eligible categories
  • Other bilateral agreements: Canada has individual bilateral treaties with several countries providing work permit exemptions in specific occupational categories
• Significant benefit / Canadian interests (IRPR s205): the broadest IMP provision; covers:
  • Intra-company transferees (C61/C62/C63): employees of a multinational company transferred to a Canadian affiliate, subsidiary, or branch in an executive, senior managerial, or specialised knowledge capacity; see the intra-company transferee page
  • Post-graduation work permit (C43): work permits issued to international students who have completed a qualifying program at a Canadian designated learning institution — these are open work permits; see the PGWP page
  • Spouse and common-law partner of skilled workers and students (C41/C42): open work permits for spouses of certain skilled workers and international students
  • Charitable or religious workers (C50): workers providing services for religious or charitable organisations in Canada
  • Emergency repairs (C11): workers required for emergency repairs to industrial or commercial equipment
  • Research, educational or training programs (C21): researchers and academics at Canadian research institutions
• Reciprocal employment (IRPR s207): arrangements where Canadians receive equivalent access to work opportunities in another country; includes:
  • International Youth Exchange (R10/T11): reciprocal youth mobility agreements between Canada and partner countries under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program; see the IEC page
  • Other reciprocal arrangements (T13): bilateral exchange programs not covered by the IEC
• No work permit required (IRPR s186): some workers are exempted entirely from needing any work permit — these include business visitors, accredited diplomats, performing artists, news reporters, and crew members of foreign transportation companies; these individuals are not technically "IMP workers" as they hold no work permit

Employer obligations under the IMP

Employers hiring through the IMP have specific obligations, which from March 2026 have been updated under a revised compliance framework:

• Employer Portal submission: before the foreign national applies for an IMP work permit, the employer must submit a job offer through the IRCC Employer Portal, including the role details, exemption code, wages, and duration; this generates an offer of employment number that the worker uses when applying
• Employer compliance fee: employers pay a compliance fee when submitting the job offer through the portal; refer to the IRCC IMP how to hire page for current fee amounts
• Wages and conditions: IMP employers must offer wages and working conditions that are at least equivalent to those offered to Canadians performing the same job in the same location
• Compliance inspections: IRCC conducts employer compliance reviews (previously called AEO reviews) of IMP employers to verify that they are meeting their obligations — inspections may be random or triggered by a complaint
• Record-keeping: IMP employers must retain records documenting their compliance with the job offer for a prescribed period

IMP and open work permits

Not all IMP work permits are employer-specific. Several important IMP categories result in open work permits — work permits that allow the holder to work for any employer in Canada (or any employer except on a restricted list). Key open work permit IMP categories include post-graduation work permits (PGWP), open work permits for spouses of skilled workers and students, bridging open work permits (BOWP), and open work permits for vulnerable workers. For open work permits, the employer portal submission requirement does not apply (no specific employer is named).

2026 compliance framework changes

From March 2026, IRCC implemented an updated employer compliance system for the IMP that aligns more closely with the enforcement model applied to the TFWP. Employers using the IMP should verify current obligations on the IRCC IMP page, as compliance requirements and fee structures may have been updated.

The IMP is significantly larger than the TFWP in terms of the number of work permits issued annually — a substantial portion of work permits issued in Canada are LMIA-exempt IMP permits rather than LMIA-based TFWP permits. The distinction matters practically for employers: the TFWP's advertising and LMIA requirements can take months to satisfy, while IMP permits can move faster because the bottleneck is the worker's application rather than an employer-side LMIA process. However, not every role qualifies for an IMP exemption — identifying the correct exemption code requires matching the worker's nationality, the type of work, and the applicable agreement or regulation. Misidentifying the exemption code can result in the work permit being refused or cancelled. The Global Skills Strategy (GSS) two-week processing commitment applies to certain IMP work permit applications at senior levels — for details, see the Global Skills Strategy page. For current IMP exemption categories, employer portal access, and updated compliance obligations, refer to the IRCC IMP page.