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Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Notice for employers that the facilitated process for Information Technology Specialists will end on September 30, 2010 (Except in Quebec and British Columbia)

Please be advised that on September 30, 2010, the facilitated process for information technology (IT) specialists will come to an end. This process applies for all positions in Canada, except in Quebec and British Columbia, where the facilitated process will remain in place for a limited time after September 30, 2010. Employers interested in hiring temporary foreign workers in one of the seven IT occupations, covered by the former facilitated process in British Columbia, will be required to advise Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC)/Service Canada and the Ministry of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development. For additional details, visit Temporary facilitated process for Information Technology positions located in British Columbia. 

Under the current process, an employer is not required to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) in order to hire foreign workers in seven specific IT occupations, as there is an implied LMO, which is not subject to the six-month time validity. In turn, a foreign worker applying for a work permit in one of the seven IT occupations is not required to submit a copy of the LMO to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as part of his/her work permit application.

Ending the facilitated process will contribute to the integrity of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), a Government of Canada priority, by ensuring that the hiring of foreign workers does not result in an adverse impact on the Canadian labour market. It also ensures that the TFWP is more responsive to the current and future labour market conditions in the information and communications technology industry, and ensure greater access to available jobs by Canadians and permanent residents.

Effective October 1, 2010, employers who wish to hire temporary foreign workers previously eligible for the IT facilitated processing will be required to apply for an LMO and HRSDC/Service Canada will consider whether or not:

  • the wage rate meets (or exceeds) the prevailing wage rate for the occupation and region;
  • the working conditions are consistent with Canadian standards;
  • efforts to hire Canadians or permanent residents have been made and the TFWP advertising guidelines have been followed;
  • the employment of the foreign worker will directly create new job opportunities or help retain jobs for Canadians;
  • the foreign worker will transfer new skills and knowledge to Canadians;
  • the hiring of the foreign worker will not affect a labour dispute or the employment of any Canadian worker involved in such a dispute.

Please note that employers are required to conduct advertising and recruitment efforts, as per the TFWP Guidelines, before submitting an LMO application and should plan sufficient time to conduct these activities. Upon receipt of a complete LMO application, the processing time, on average, takes two to three weeks.

Effective October 1, 2010, work permit applications received by CIC or by the Canada Border Services Agency at a port of entry, for positions in provinces other than Quebec and British Columbia, will require a copy of the LMO for the seven specific IT occupations that were previously under the facilitated process. Furthermore, as per the regular TFWP process, the LMO will be valid for a maximum of six months from the date of issuance.

For more information on how to apply for a Labour Market Opinion... 

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Date Modified:
2011-02-28