The labour shortage in Canada is real. More employers than ever are turning to foreign workers to fill roles in construction, healthcare, trades, and service industries. But while the demand is high, so is the legal risk.

Hiring a foreign worker isn’t as simple as posting a job and sending an offer. Whether you’re going through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) or the International Mobility Program (IMP), there are clear rules you must follow—or face serious penalties.

If hiring through TFWP, you’ll need to:

  • Conduct 4 weeks of job advertising
  • Pay the prevailing wage
  • Apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
  • Demonstrate that no Canadian or PR is available

If hiring under IMP (for LMIA-exempt workers), you’ll still need to:

  • Submit an offer through IRCC’s Employer Portal
  • Pay a $230 compliance fee
  • Comply with all listed job duties, wages, and location details

And no matter the stream, you must keep detailed records for 6 years and be prepared for random audits.

Mistakes we see often:

  • Misclassifying a role as LMIA-exempt
  • Underpaying according to provincial wage data
  • Not updating IRCC when job conditions change
  • Failing to track documents for inspections

At Marwah-Jad, we don’t just help employers get approvals—we help build systems to protect you from penalties. That means reviewing your job ads, checking your wage benchmarks, and ensuring you’re audit-proof before IRCC ever calls.