LMIA

New Innovation Stream under the IMP

There are many options for foreign nationals in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) sector looking to work in Canada

Canada offers an LMIA-exempt work permit that many temporary workers overlook: the Francophone Mobility Work Permit. It is designed to support French-speaking workers outside Quebec and is one of the simplest options for extending or obtaining a Canadian work permit.

Effective May 1st, Alberta is lifting restrictions on the hiring of new temporary foreign workers.

Starting August 28, visitors in Canada on a temporary visa can no longer apply for work permits from within the country. This policy, initially introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, aimed to assist visitors stranded due to border closures.

Canada has expanded its list of regions where low-wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) will not be processed under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Canada continues to attract individuals from around the world seeking new opportunities, but 2025 has brought longer wait times for many immigration processes. Temporary residents are experiencing delays in visa renewals, permanent residency applications, and family sponsorships, largely due to high application volumes and recent shifts in government staffing.

Canada has launched a new work permit under the Innovation Stream of the International Mobility Program (IMP), aiming to attract skilled foreign workers. This initiative is part of the Tech Talent Strategy, launched in 2023 to make Canada a global tech leader.

Canada is temporarily expanding access to foreign workers for employers in rural communities. Under new measures announced on March 13, rural employers using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) will be allowed to hire more low-wage foreign workers to help address labour shortages.

As of June 27, 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has increased wage thresholds for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) across most provinces. This change affects whether employers apply under the high-wage or low-wage LMIA stream.

Canadian food services employers will be able to hire up to 30% of their workforce through the TFWP, and other changes coming for temporary foreign workers.

Starting September 26, Canada will stop processing Low-Wage Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) for the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in some metropolitan areas with unemployment rates of 6% or higher.

Canada has announced a major plan to recruit more than 1,000 leading researchers from outside the country.

Canada is starting a program called Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) to help with worker shortages. 

IRCC data show where foreign workers got jobs in Canada under the International Mobility Program last year.
Most of Canada’s foreign workers fall under the International Mobility Program (IMP). In 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued more than 315,000 work permits under the IMP alone. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) accounted for about 104,000 work permits issued.

You may be self-employed and still be eligible for Canadian immigration streams. Most economic immigration streams require proof of at least a year’s worth of work. 

The Canadian regions that could potentially see a reduction of temporary foreign workers due to Employment and Social Development Canada's (ESDC) recent policy include Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) with an unemployment rate equal to or higher than 6%. Based on the latest data, the following CMAs are likely to be affected:

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that his government is preparing new reforms to Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Carney said the program must become more targeted, focusing on specific industries and regional labour needs.

If you are working in Quebec and holding a Quebec Selection Certificate (CSQ), you need to have a valid work permit while you are waiting on a decision for your immigration application.

Ottawa has introduced a new rule that changes how employers must advertise Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) positions. From now on, every LMIA job posting on Canada’s Job Bank must include the Direct Apply feature, and employers are required to review applications submitted through it. Ignoring this step could lead to an LMIA refusal.