International Mobility Program

Canada is a modern economic powerhouse. Its economy is expanding at such a rate that the Canadian government desperately needs more and more international workers to fill the gaps in the Canadian job market. As a result, the Canadian government has put together many plans, such as the International Mobility Program to bring foreign workers into Canada to fill the positions the Canadian public cannot supply themselves. Traditionally, for a Canadian company, employing foreign workers requires a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

The IMP is the name given to the programs that provide temporary foreign workers who have a Canada open work permit the ability to work in Canada without an LMIA. It allows employers to hire a foreign worker with a Canada open work permit. Despite having a few streams based on the skill level of the occupation, the IMP doesn't show a preference for specific applicants based on the wage offered. Employers can hire a foreign worker by providing a transition plan or offering the position to Canadian workers first. On top of all this, the IMP processing time is only around two weeks, whereas most LMIA-approved employment programs take months to process.