The Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) is a Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) initiative launched in August 2023 that reduces the administrative burden on employers who have a demonstrated history of TFWP compliance. Recognized employers can obtain a simplified Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) that is valid for up to 3 years and covers multiple hires, rather than having to submit a new full LMIA application each year. The REP was designed for sectors with recurring, predictable labour needs — initially Primary Agriculture, then Core Housing. New applications to enroll in the REP closed in September 2024, but enrolled employers can continue using the simplified process until the pilot concludes on December 31, 2026.

For current REP program information, occupations list, and simplified LMIA application process, refer to the ESDC Recognized Employer Pilot page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), s 203 — LMIA-based work permit issuance
• ESDC: Recognized Employer Pilot — Overview — canada.ca/recognized-employer
• ESDC: REP requirements — canada.ca/rep-requirements
• ESDC: Backgrounder — Recognized Employer Pilot (August 2023) — canada.ca/rep-backgrounder

Purpose and design

The REP was introduced to address a key pain point for agricultural and housing construction employers who hire temporary foreign workers year after year in the same roles. Under the standard TFWP LMIA process, employers must submit a new LMIA application each time they hire a temporary worker — including repeating advertising and documentation requirements even when the hiring need is identical to prior years. The REP addresses this by:

• Recognising employers with a strong compliance history as trusted participants
• Allowing them to use a simplified LMIA — pre-filling past-approved information for the same occupation and location without repeating the full advertising process
• Granting multi-year LMIA validity of up to 3 years, so employers can hire under the same LMIA across multiple seasons or hiring cycles

Two streams — Primary Agriculture and Core Housing

The REP was rolled out in two stages:

• Stage 1 — Primary Agriculture stream (September 2023): Available to agricultural employers who regularly use the TFWP to fill recurring roles such as farm workers, greenhouse workers, and other primary agriculture occupations. This stage was designed to help agricultural employers plan staffing well in advance of the growing season
• Stage 2 — Core Housing stream: Extended the REP to employers in the housing construction sector facing recurring labour needs in specific building trades occupations

The occupations eligible under each stream are specified in the REP occupations list on the ESDC website.

Requirements to become a recognized employer

To have been eligible to enroll in REP (applications closed September 2024), employers needed to demonstrate:

• A history of TFWP participation — having previously received approved LMIAs and hired TFWP workers
• Compliance with TFWP conditions — no findings of non-compliance from prior ESDC inspections or complaint-driven reviews
• That their hiring need is in a REP-eligible occupation at an approved work location
• Meeting all standard TFWP requirements (wages, working conditions, accommodation)

Employers who were granted recognized employer status were issued a recognition certificate and could begin using the simplified LMIA process for subsequent hiring rounds.

The simplified LMIA process

Under the REP, a recognized employer submits a simplified LMIA application through LMIA Online. The simplified application:

• Uses previously approved and submitted information — the employer confirms the occupation and work location remain the same as prior approved LMIAs
• Does not require new advertising for the same occupation and location (whereas standard TFWP LMIAs require evidence of advertising)
• Is processed more quickly because ESDC already has the employer's compliance history and prior LMIA information on file
• Results in an LMIA valid for up to 3 years, enabling multiple hirings under the same LMIA

Current status — enrolled employers only, through December 2026

As of September 16, 2024, ESDC stopped accepting new applications from employers wanting to join the REP. Only employers who enrolled before that date can use the simplified LMIA process. The REP will conclude on December 31, 2026 — after which the pilot program ends and ESDC will evaluate the results and determine next steps (which may include a permanent program, an extended pilot, or program closure). For enrolled employers, the simplified LMIA process remains available until the end date. For current information on the REP's status, refer to the ESDC REP page.

Compliance obligations — unchanged for REP employers

Recognition under the REP does not reduce or change an employer's core TFWP compliance obligations. Recognized employers must still:

• Pay the wages and provide the working conditions specified in the LMIA and offer of employment
• Maintain all standard TFWP employer obligations
• Be subject to ESDC inspections — loss of recognized employer status can follow a compliance finding
• Comply with applicable provincial/territorial employment standards

The REP was part of a broader government effort to streamline the TFWP for employers who use it responsibly while focusing enforcement resources on bad actors. The simplification it offers — multi-year LMIAs and no repeat advertising for unchanged positions — addressed a longstanding frustration for agricultural employers who hire the same roles each season. The closure to new enrollment in September 2024 and the December 2026 end date mean the REP is in its wind-down phase; employers should monitor ESDC communications for information about successor programs or changes to the standard TFWP LMIA process after 2026. For current REP program requirements, the occupations list for each stream, and the simplified LMIA application guide, refer to the ESDC Recognized Employer Pilot page.