The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when qualified Canadians are not available.

Generally, in order to hire foreign worker, the employer needs to apply and receive a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for the position he is hiring for. The LMIA is an application to demonstrate that the employer was unable to find a suitable Permanent Resident or Canadian citizen to hire for this position, and that the hiring of the foreign worker will not have negative impact on Canadian labour market.

The foreign worker needs to obtain a work permit so he can engage in employment activities in Canada. The work permit can be either:

• Employer-specific work permit: the foreign worker can only work for specific employer and usually in a specific location
• Open work permit: the foreign worker can work for any employer in Canada at any location.