Hiring a temporary foreign worker

Employers from all types of businesses can recruit foreign workers with a wide range of skills to meet temporary labour shortages.

You may be able to hire eligible foreign workers to work for you temporarily if you can prove that:

  • you cannot find suitable Canadians or permanent residents to fill the jobs
  • bringing the workers to Canada will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labour market, and
  • you meet all other requirements and conditions.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada works with Service Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency to manage the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

Note: If you are looking for a permanent solution to a long-term skill shortage, consult your provincial or territorial government about immigration programs or see Hire a federal skilled worker.

Learn about:

To find out what a foreign worker must do to come to Canada, see Working temporarily in Canada: Who can apply.

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