International Mobility Program (IMP)

Eligible Foreign Workers

To apply for the IMP, you must be either:

• An executive, management-level employee or research specialist coming to work for a branch of your company in Canada.
• Between the ages of 18 and 35 and from a country eligible for the International Experience Canada
• A professional, trader, investor, entrepreneur or business visitor from a country under any of the following trade agreements: Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA), Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA), Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA) or Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA).

Eligible Employers

To employ foreign workers via the IMP route, you must:

• Set up a profile in the Employers Portal
• Take note of your employee’s work permit expiry date when the temporary foreign worker arrives
• Offer the employee the exact role and in the exact location and duration as you advertised in the job portal
• Assign duties relevant to the role the employee is being hired for. Those duties must be the same as the ones on the National Occupation Classification (NOC) code.
• Not pay less or treat your employee unfavourably in any way
• Pay the foreign worker at least the minimum wage for the job role as stipulated by the province
• Help the employee get workers’ compensation benefits and medical insurance upon their arrival in line with your advertisement and the rules of the territory or province
• Keep being active in your business as long as your employee’s permit is valid
• Comply with relevant federal, territory, and provincial hiring laws
• Not allow abuse of any form in your business
• Not retaliate against whistleblowers
• Be available for inspection at all times or assign someone who will
• Pay the workers even when they are sick and unfit for work
• Keep a file on the employee for at least 6 years from the start date on their permit.

Provincial Variations

A foreign worker can be hired if:

• They are willing to work outside of Quebec and can show moderate French speaking and listening skills
• They hold Certificat de Selection du Quebec (CSQ) and are willing to work in Quebec
• They are an overnight camp counselor

You can hire a foreign worker if you participate in the Global Hypergrowth Project (GHP) and the role you’re advertising is on the NOC’s list. The role must require high-level skills, and you must pay above the minimum wage for such a role.

Free Trade Agreement Pathway

Canada has bilateral and multilateral trade agreements with various countries. These agreements reduce trade and immigration obstacles for participating countries. You can apply for the International Mobility Program if your country has a trade agreement with Canada. The trade agreements are listed below:

• Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) previously the North-American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This agreement is known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement in the US and Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá” (T-MEC) in Mexico. You must be a citizen of the US or Mexico to apply via this route; permanent residents are not eligible.
• Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). You must be an EU citizen to apply via this route; permanent residents are not eligible.
• General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) coordinated by the World Trade Organisation.
• Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA). You must be a citizen of Chile to apply; permanent residents are not eligible.
• Canada-Peru Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). You must be a citizen of Peru to apply; permanent residents are not eligible.
• Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). Citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply.
• Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA). You must be a citizen or permanent resident of South Korea to apply.

Intra-Company Transfers

The Intra-Company Transfer pathway offers executive, management-level employees or research specialists the opportunity to work for a branch of their multinational company in Canada. This pathway is open to citizens of all countries. To apply for the IMP via this route, you must have been working full-time at the company for at least 1 year. One of the following must also apply:

• You have executive capacity in the company. You’ll have to show that you are part of the decision-makers in the company and are directly involved in establishing company policies. You must also report only to the stockholders, the board of directors, or a higher executive like the CEO.
• You have managerial capacity. You’ll show that you can employ or relieve employees of their duty, control and supervise the work of other senior professionals in your company, or show that you manage the organisation as a whole or one of its subsidiaries or divisions.
• You have specialized or proprietary knowledge about a particular role, product, or service that your company renders. This means you know the exact specifications your company uses to manufacture a product or service, which cannot be shared with someone else. You’ll also need to show that you have advanced expertise in the company and its product or service. You can prove this by showing you have worked for the company in a specialized role for at least 5 years.

Your company must meet all of these requirements:

• Their business in Canada must be their second international office
• The business in Canada and outside of Canada must have one of these relationships: branch, subsidiary, affiliate, branch, or parent
• The two businesses must be providing goods and services

Mobilité Francophone

The Mobilité Francophone work permit allows Canadian employers to hire temporary foreign workers who can speak and understand French and are willing to live outside Quebec. To apply, you must:

• Prove you will leave Canada at the expiration of your permit
• Show you can care for yourself and any dependent financially in Canada
• Prove you have no criminal history
• Not work for an ineligible employer or one that offers escort or erotic services
• Prove that your French listening and speaking skills are equal to or higher than a level 5 on the Niveaux de compétence linguistique canadiens (NCLC) scale.
• Have a job offer from a category listed by the National Occupational Classification (NOC) as TEER (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities).

International Experience Canada (IEC)

Canada has an agreement with certain countries that allows their youths to temporarily work in Canada for one year. This agreement is known as the International Experience Canada (IEC). The IEC has three categories: the Working Holiday Visa, Young Professionals, and International Co-op. The application for this program is through a random computer draw, and each participating country has a quota annually.

To apply for this stream, you must be between 18 and 35 and from an eligible country.

The table below shows some participating countries and the stream their citizens are eligible for. The full list of International Mobility Program Canada eligible countries is on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) website.

Charitable and Religious Work Permits

Foreign nationals working for charitable or religious organisations are eligible for the International Mobility Program. A charitable worker is different from a volunteer worker. The IRCC sees charitable work as actual work but does not recognise volunteer work as such. For a role to be considered charitable, it must meet one of the following needs:

• Advancing education
• Advancing religion
• Relieving poverty
• Caring for the vulnerable.

Applicants and employers using this route don’t need to pay any application fee. However, according to federal, territorial, and provincial laws, the employee cannot be paid equal to or above the minimum wage. To compensate for this, the employee can be offered health care and accommodation. Employers who wish to hire foreign nationals for their charity organisation must be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). They must also prove that their organisations are not-for-profit. Foreign nationals using this route can move to Canada with their dependents.

Overview

To hire a foreign worker via the IMP route, you must:

• Create a profile on the Employer Portal and submit a job offer with details about your company, the job and person description, wages, and entitlements
• Pay $230 as compliance fee

After submitting the job offer, a 7-digit number will be generated for the job. Send the number to the foreign national you want to hire, as they’ll use it for their work permit application.

Take these steps to apply for a Canadian work visa online as an employee:

Gather Your Documents

Submit these documents with your application forms:

• International passport
• Copies of expired and current passports up to the last 5 years
• Curriculum vitae in French or English outlining your references and experience over the years
• Educational and professional certificates obtained over the years
• Police clearance certificate from any country you have spent over six months in since your 18th birthday
• Employment letter from the Canadian employer with a possible start date
• Medical examination results
• Marriage certificate if you will travel to Canada with your partner or spouse
• Birth certificate if you will travel to Canada with your children
• Receipts showing you have paid the visa fees
• Residence permit, if you are applying from a country that is not your birth country

Create a Profile

You must create a profile with the IRCC and fill in your details and other information relevant to your application as requested.

Complete Relevant Forms

Download, complete, and submit the following forms with your application as it applies to you:

• Form IMM 5488, Document Checklist
• Form IMM 1295, Application For Work Permit Made Outside of Canada
• Form IMM 5707/5645, Family Information
• Form IMM 5409, Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union, if you have a common-law partner

Upload Forms and Supporting Documents

Scan your supporting documents and forms and upload them to your profile. Ensure you upload the employer’s job offer with the Employer Portal number, as this proves your offer is valid.

Pay Your Fees

You must pay your fees before you can submit your application.

Schedule Biometric Collection

After submitting your application, book a biometric collection appointment at any Canadian visa application centre nearest you, and then wait for a decision.

Fees and Processing Times

• $155 CAD per person for the work permit application fee
• $85 CAD for a biometric fee per person. Families of two or more can pay $170 CAD.

It can take the IRCC up to 12 weeks to decide on your application.

Addressing Skill Shortages

Canada is a growing economy that requires skilled workers in different sectors. The IMP pathway enables employers to bring overseas talent to fill job roles that Canadian citizens and permanent residents can’t fill. This prevents service disruptions that can arise due to staff shortages.

Economic Contributions

The IMP reduces administration and employment costs for Canadian businesses. To hire foreign workers outside of the IMP, employers must pay $1000 CAD per employee for LMIA. The LMIA fee is not refundable whether or not the application was approved. With the IMP, employers only pay $230, saving money for other business needs.

Secondly, employees under the Intra-Company Transfer route of the IMP are management or executive-level employees. With their experience and expertise, they can drive business expansion, service innovation, or job creation, which benefits the country’s economy.

Thirdly, most foreign workers in Canada using the IMP route pay taxes at the federal and territorial/provincial levels. Thus showing their contribution to Canada’s GDP and independence from public benefits.

Cultural and Social Benefits

The report released by the Evaluation and Audit arm of the IRCC showed that the IMP had many cultural and social benefits for Canada. One notable benefit is the cultural diversity it created. Data collected from 2014 to 2022 showed that the IMP route had admitted nationals of 200 countries with up to 300 different mother tongues, making Canada a socially inclusive nation.

Furthermore, the report highlighted that the program has supported the local filming industry, encouraging the top talents in the film industry to move to Canada and share their global perspectives.

The IEC and Trade Agreement pathway under the IMP have reduced barriers in trade and paved the way for Canadian citizens to explore other countries based on reciprocal agreements.

Program Misuse

Some employers use the program as a tool to get cheap labour. They state a certain wage on the job offer only to pay the employee lower than was agreed. Knowing well that it may be hard for an immigrant to pursue legal actions. This is even harder for employees with employer-specific IMPs, which do not permit them to switch employers without applying for a new work permit. In cases where the employee summons the courage to report the employer, they often become victimised at work. The IRCC has carried out several employer compliance inspections and has found that the most common complaint employees have is related to a shortage of wages.

Impact on the Domestic Workforce

The IMP may have a negative impact on the local workforce. Foreign workers are more likely to take up jobs with lower wages than Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Employers will also most likely choose low-cost labour to maximise profit. This can cause Canadian citizens and permanent residents to miss out on jobs as wages can be driven down by foreign workers. If it is easier to hire a foreign worker, employers will become less likely to invest in the development of the domestic workforce, leading to a dependence on immigration to sustain the labour force.

Administrative and Compliance Burdens

Due to employer abuse of the IMP, the IRCC has set stricter measures to ensure compliance. These measures protect the foreign worker from abuse, though some employers view the measures as burdens. One of such burdens is keeping records. The IRCC mandates employers to have a comprehensive record of the employee details for at least 6 years. Again, while the IMP is an affordable option for employers, the processing time can take a long time which can disrupt businesses. Employers must also be ready, as the IRCC staff may randomly inspect premises to check for compliance. Finally, non-compliant employers will be fined heavily.

Recent Updates and Policy Developments

On the 15th of April, 2024, Canada introduced a new pathway for the IMP called the Global Hypergrowth Project. Foreign nationals can get a temporary work visa under this pathway for up to 5 years. You must have a job offer from an IRCC-approved employer to be eligible for this permit. The employers involved in the Global Hypergrowth Project are:

• AlayaCare
• Duchesnay Pharmaceuntical Group (DPG)
• Ada Support Inc
• CellCarta
• Vipe Crop Protection
• Clio
• Lightspeed Commerce.

If your role with these companies falls under NOC Teer 0 and 1, your application will be expedited. The IMP’s Global Hypergrowth Project pathway will run until 22 March 2026.

On October 3, 2024, Canada made it harder for overseas workers to get Intra-Company Transfer Permits under the IMP. Caseworkers were mandated to check whether an overseas worker has specialized knowledge and whether the role requires specialized knowledge.

Finally, on October 24, 2024, Canada capped the number of IMPs issued, citing the need to improve the program’s transparency and efficiency.