The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is a temporary Canada work visa that was created by the Canadian Government to provide opportunities for foreign workers who want to get employment in Canada for a short period of time. The TFWP allows people to work in the country for only 6 months, with possibilities of extensions.

During this time, the foreign worker is allowed to only work for one employer and they get a work permit and visa. They can live in the place in Canada where their job is and must abide by Canadian laws. When the work permit and visa are close to expiration, the worker can apply for an extension of the work permit for 4 years.

High-Wage Workers

If an employer wishes to hire a temporary foreign worker who will be paid at or above the median hourly wage of their province or territory then the employer must apply through the TFWP stream for high-wage workers. The first step in this process requires the employer to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) demonstrating that they were unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position.

Once an employer is issued a positive LMIA for a high-wage skilled position, they must inform the foreign worker of the LMIA results and notify them that they must apply for their authorization to work in Canada prior to the expiration of the LMIA. Once a high-wage worker receives a positive LMIA from an employer alongside their official signed employment contract, they may apply for authorization to work in Canada either through a work permit application or a permanent residency application, depending on their eligibility.

Low-Wage Workers

If an employer wishes to hire a temporary foreign worker who will be paid less than the median hourly wage of their province or territory then the employer must apply through the TFWP stream for low-wage workers. The first step in this process requires the employer to obtain a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) demonstrating that they were unable to find a Canadian citizen or permanent resident to fill the position.

Employers should note that LMIAs for low-wage workers require employers to meet certain stipulations to ensure the workplace rights and safety of low-wage non-resident workers. Once an employer is issued a positive LMIA for a low-wage skilled position, they must inform the foreign worker of the LMIA results and notify them that they must apply for their authorization to work in Canada prior to the expiration of the LMIA.

Once a low-wage worker receives a positive LMIA from an employer alongside their official signed employment contract, they may apply for authorization to work in Canada either through a work permit application or a permanent residency application, depending on their eligibility.

Foreign Agricultural Workers

Employers wishing to hire temporary foreign workers to fill specific positions related to agricultural production may be able to use one of the TFWP agricultural streams to hire workers. Canada offers two streams designed to facilitate the hiring of temporary foreign workers in the field of agriculture. In order to qualify for either stream, first an employer must ensure that they meet the following general requirements:

1. production must be in specific commodity sectors on Canada’s national commodity list;
2. the activity must be related to on-farm primary agriculture in one of the following National Occupation Classification (NOC) Codes: 80020, 80021, 21112, 82031, 84120, 85103, and 85101

If an employer meets the above-mentioned criteria, they may be eligible to hire temporary foreign workers through the regular Agricultural Stream or the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).