Canadian employers may seek to employ foreign nationals for a number of different reasons. Perhaps they are unable to find a Canadian with the necessary skills to fill the position, or perhaps they wish to assist a foreign national who is seeking permanent residence in Canada. No matter what the reason, there are a range of hiring options available for Canadian employers to hire foreign nationals.
All foreign nationals require the appropriate authorization to legally work in Canada. There are a few options for securing the authorization to work: obtaining a work permit, qualifying for a work permit exemption, or becoming a Canadian permanent resident. Each of these options has a different set of eligibility requirements and application procedures.
In certain circumstances an employer may be required to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support a work permit application, or to supply a foreign national with an official job offer to support a permanent residency application. Read below to learn more about the various pathways and procedures for hiring foreign nationals to work in Canada.