Hiring Construction Workers from Abroad: US and Canada Routes

H-2B fits a one-time project, a seasonal peak, or another temporary need. It does not fit year-round crews. The cap is 66,000 new workers a year, split into two halves; DHS added up to 64,716 supplemental visas for FY 2026, mostly for returning workers. You must pay at least the prevailing wage, guarantee three-fourths of the hours, reimburse visa costs and travel, and never charge recruitment fees. Details: H-2B employer guide.

PERM and EB-3 is the main permanent route for tradespeople. You must run DOL recruitment, pay the prevailing wage, and pay all PERM costs. Expect years of waiting, and in 2026 immigrant visa interviews abroad have been paused since August 25. See PERM for employers.

H-1B and TN work for engineers, architects, and other roles that need a specific degree. TN covers Canadian and Mexican engineers, architects, and land surveyors, but not trades or labor.

Compliance. Construction sites draw immigration enforcement. Complete Form I-9 for every hire, use E-Verify where your state or federal contracts require it, and be careful with subcontractors: knowingly using a subcontractor's unauthorized workers can create liability.

LMIA. Construction (NAICS 23) is exempt from the low-wage refusal that applies in 26 of 41 metro areas for July 10 to October 8, 2026, so contractors in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and other listed cities can still apply for low-wage LMIAs. Low-wage jobs still need 8 weeks of ads with youth outreach, fall under the workforce cap (20% in some sectors), and require round-trip travel, affordable housing, and private health insurance. High-wage jobs (median plus 20%, for example CAD $37.50 in Alberta from July 17, 2026) need 4 weeks of ads and a transition plan.

Express Entry. The trades category (12 months of experience in a listed trade in the last 3 years) and the Federal Skilled Trades Program help tradespeople get PR. Job offers no longer add CRS points.

Provincial programs favoring construction in 2026:

• New Brunswick: NB Experience invitations go only to health care, education, and construction since May 4, 2026. See NB Skilled Worker
• Nova Scotia: the former Critical Construction Worker pilot is now part of the Skilled Worker stream
• Ontario: the Workforce Priority stream accepts listed trades with CLB 5
• Manitoba: added 16 skilled trades to the Temporary Resident Retention Pilot in February 2026
• Saskatchewan: skilled trades are a priority sector with no intake windows. See Employment Offer

Canada also announced a new pathway for construction workers in 2026; see our construction worker pathway page for its status.

• Canada: many trades are compulsory in some provinces, meaning workers need a provincial certificate of qualification to work. Red Seal endorsement allows mobility between provinces. Engineers need a provincial license to use the title.
• USA: electricians, plumbers, and other trades are licensed by states or cities, and requirements differ. Foreign experience may count toward licensing hours.

Build licensing time into your hiring plan. A work permit or visa does not let someone work in a regulated trade without the license.

For big projects, start the immigration plan when you bid, not when you mobilize. A worker who arrives late costs more than the filing fees.

Full tables: US costs, Canada costs, and the sponsorship cost estimator. To see which US construction and engineering firms sponsor H-1B workers, search our H-1B sponsor database.

• Filing H-2B for year-round work, which DOL denies.
• Hiring through labor brokers that charge workers fees or supply unauthorized workers.
• Changing a Canadian worker's site or trade without a new permit or LMIA.
• Skipping the license check for compulsory trades.
• Ignoring Canada's sector advantages, such as the refusal-area exemption, and assuming low-wage LMIAs are impossible in big cities.