Overview
Hiring foreign workers in Canada
Compare ways to hire foreign workers in Canada: LMIA, Global Talent Stream, LMIA-exempt permits and Atlantic designation, with official sources.
In this section
- AIP employer designationOpenThe Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP) lets designated employers in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador hire foreign workers and international graduates for permanent residence, without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The employer gets designated by the province for free, completes required training, makes a job offer, works with a settlement agency on a settlement plan, and gets the province to endorse the candidate. Canada set a target of 4,000 AIP admissions for 2026.
- Canada employer complianceCanadian employers who hire foreign workers, with or without an LMIA, must follow conditions set in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations: provide the wages, job, and working conditions they promised, follow provincial labor laws, keep a workplace free of abuse, never charge recruitment fees, and keep records for 6 years. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) inspects LMIA employers and IRCC inspects LMIA-exempt employers, often without notice. Violations can bring fines of up to $100,000 per violation and $1 million a year, bans from hiring foreign workers, and public listing.
- Canada hiring costsAs of September 2026, the main government fee for a Canadian employer is CAD $1,000 per position for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or CAD $230 for an LMIA-exempt job offer submitted through the IRCC Employer Portal. Workers pay CAD $155 for a work permit plus $85 for biometrics, and CAD $1,590 each for the principal applicant and spouse when they apply for permanent residence. The Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural Community Immigration Pilot have no employer fee and need no LMIA.
- Global Talent StreamOpenThe Global Talent Stream (GTS) is a fast-track part of Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker Program that lets employers get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for highly skilled roles, mostly in tech, with a service standard of about 2 weeks and no minimum advertising period. In exchange, the employer commits to a Labour Market Benefits Plan that creates jobs, training, or other gains for Canadians. The worker then applies for an employer-specific work permit, often with 2-week processing.
- LMIA for employersRestrictedA Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is the approval a Canadian employer gets from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before hiring most temporary foreign workers; it shows no Canadian or permanent resident is available for the job. The employer advertises the job, pays a CAD $1,000 fee per position, and applies under the high-wage or low-wage stream depending on whether the wage reaches the provincial median plus 20%. In 2026, low-wage jobs face the tightest rules: 8 weeks of advertising, a 10% workforce cap, and refusal in high-unemployment metro areas.
- PNP employer streamsChangingEvery province and territory except Quebec and Nunavut runs a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), and most of their worker streams need a job offer from a local employer. The employer usually registers with the province, meets rules on business history, wages, and local recruitment, and supports the worker's application; the province then nominates the worker, who applies to IRCC for permanent residence. In 2026 several provinces narrowed their employer streams, so check each stream's status before you promise a worker a nomination.
- RCIP employer designationOpenThe Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) lets designated employers in 14 participating rural and northern communities hire foreign workers who can get permanent residence, without a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The employer applies to the local community organization for designation (free), completes onboarding and intercultural training, and makes a job offer in a priority occupation; the community then recommends the candidate, who applies to IRCC. A sister program, the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP), works the same way in 6 francophone minority communities.
General information, not legal advice. NorthAmericans.com is independent and not affiliated with any government.