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3. Foreign Workers

Temporary Foreign Worker Program

Hiring Foreign Information Technology Specialists

Employing foreign information technology specialists can be an essential part of a company's business strategy. Foreign IT specialists can help you bring needed skills and knowledge to your company and help Canada be a world leader in innovation.

In general, when hiring a foreign IT specialist to work in Canada, employers need to get a Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) job offer confirmation and the Foreign Worker needs a work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Hiring Steps

Employers hiring foreign IT specialists for work in Canada must :

1. Submit an Application for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) to the Service Canada Centre responsible for your area.
2. Employers using a third party representative must complete the "Annex to the Appointment of Representative" form and send it with the LMO application.
   • Learn more about the HRSDC LMO assessment criteria noting that a Québec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) issued by the province is also required for jobs in Quebec.
     
3. Once HRSDC has approved your job offer, send a copy of the HRSDC labour market opinion letter to the foreign worker.
   
4. Tell the foreign worker to apply for a work permit from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Next, CIC decides whether the foreign worker will get a work permit according to the requirements to work and reside temporarily in Canada.

Some countries may require that their citizens meet certain conditions if they want to work in Canada (e.g. approval to leave the country, employer to pay transportation costs and/or medical coverage). An employer should ask foreign workers to verify if additional conditions apply in their countries, contact the country's consulate in Canada or check its website to find out if you must meet additional requirements.

IT Exemptions

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), in some instances employers do not need an HRSDC labour market opinion to hire foreign workers for jobs in Canada.

In addition, HRSDC and CIC in cooperation with employers, and the Software Human Resource Council have developed a facilitated process for hiring foreign IT specialists in high demand occupations.

• Learn about exemptions and facilitated processes for hiring foreign IT specialists

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Date Modified:

2012-01-26