International Mobility Program (IMP)

International Mobility Program

The International Mobility Program is a program that allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers on a Canadian work permit without the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

Positions exempt from requiring an LMIA are which:

• – Provide reciprocal benefits for Canadian citizens and permanent residents and
• – Provide broad economic, cultural, or other competitive advantages for Canada

Workers who are eligible for the International Mobility Program (IMP) are:

• – Those entering Canada as part of trade treaties, such as the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) or the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)
• – And those entering Canada as intra-company transferees.
• – Those who are entering in Canada on an open work permit.

For hiring a foreign worker through the IMP Generally involves the payment of $230 as an employer compliance fee. If an employer is hiring a person of an open work permit holder, then the fee is not required. Other fee-exempt cases include a non-trade agreement, certain research positions, and charitable or religious work.

Job offers via the IMP is should be made via the IRCC’s Employer Portal. Therefore employers must first register a profile to use the Employer Portal.

All the details of the job offer must be entered into the portal, the minimum education requirement, including a list of duties, experience required, plus wages and benefits.

The employers who are submitting a job offer receive an offer of employment number. This number is required to complete their work permit application.

Once the work permit application is approved, the foreign worker receives:

• – A new work permit if they are already in Canada, or applying at the time of entry, or
• – A letter of introduction if they are outside Canada.

When you will submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal, you will receive an offer of

The International Mobility Program (IMP) is run by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The other federal government departments involved in the IMP are the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

IMP is different from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), which is run by ESDC with help of CBSA and IRCC.

The IRCC runs the International Mobility Program Unit especially for the companies looking to hire workers using the program.