I want to hire a foreign worker but without the Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.

I urgently need to appoint a foreign skilled worker but don’t have the time to wait for LMIA processing.

The LMIA process is too expensive. Is there a simpler and easier way to hire a foreign worker for my business?

The answer to all three questions is the same—the International Mobility Program.

If you are a Canadian employer who wants to hire a foreign worker without the onerous LMIA procedures and formalities, then you cannot afford to ignore the IMP.

Benefits of IMP for Canadian Employers

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is setup to help Canadian employers hire foreign workers for job positions where there are not enough skilled workers in Canada. Obviously, permission to hire the foreign worker is given only if there is sufficient proof that a suitable candidate is not available in Canada.

This is why Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) requires employers to conduct at least three recruiting activities including advertising in Canada’s Job Bank for at least four weeks over a three-month period before applying for the LMIA.

The IMP focuses on promoting Canada’s economic, social and cultural interests, which means the positives of hiring a qualified skilled worker under the IMP outweighs the negative aspects.

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This is why IMP-qualified workers are exempt from the LMIA requirement. No LMIA means Canadian employers can hire a foreign worker without the mandatory four-week advertising and recruitment process.

Combined with the standard two-week processing period for IMP worker permits, this means the entire process of interviewing candidates and having the skilled worker settle into his /her duties in Canada can be completed in less than month.

Hiring an IMP-qualified worker is cheaper because employers don’t have pay the CAN$1,000 LMIA fee.

Cost and speed of recruitment apart, hiring a foreign worker under the IMP offers other significant benefits for Canadian employers.

LMIA rules for high-wage positions require employers to either have a transition plan or support the foreign worker’s transition to permanent residence in Canada. This means the TFWP hiring cannot be a long-term strategy for the employer.

For low-wage positions, there’s a cap on how many foreign workers that employers can hire.

None of these restrictions apply to IMP candidates because there is no LMIA requirement for such workers. Whether you hire a high-wage or low-wage worker, the basic requirements remain the same as long as there are significant economic, social, or cultural benefits for Canada.

Further, IMP work permits are open work permits, which means the worker is free to find another job in Canada without any additional processes or formalities. From the employer’s perspective, this means a more relaxed compliance regime because workers are simply free to quit an employer who violates their rights as workers.

IMP- No Real Disadvantages or Drawbacks for Employers

Not all foreign workers will automatically qualify under the IMP but this is not a very significant drawback because of the type of workers covered by the IMP.

The Post-Graduation Work Permit is an IMP work permit, which means you can have your pick of the best international graduates in Canada by hiring them under the LMIA-exempt IMP work permit.

If you want to hire workers living abroad, then you need to focus on countries that have bilateral or multilateral treaties or exchange programs with Canada.

This means your business won’t suffer any real disadvantage or drawback by your decision to focus on IMP skilled workers. Considering the cost, time, and other benefits of hiring workers through the IMP and the absence of any significant disadvantage means this is a great way to start hiring foreign workers for your business.

Canada’s facing a massive labor shortage and any business that manages to avoid this problem and hire people quickly will have a huge advantage over their competitors. If you have never hired a foreign worker before, then starting out with an international graduate or any other skilled worker eligible under the IMP may be a great idea.

The best way to proceed would be to contact a qualified and experienced immigration professional who can guide you through the entire process of hiring a foreign worker for your business and complying with the various rules and regulations applicable to such employers after the foreign worker enters Canada and starts working for his/her employer.