The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) & LMIA

If you aren’t eligible for International Experience Canada — either because your country doesn’t have a youth mobility agreement with Canada, or you’re outside the program’s age range — the other main route into Canadian seasonal work is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Unlike IEC, the TFWP is entirely employer-driven. A Canadian employer must apply to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for a specific position, demonstrating that no qualified Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available to fill the role. Only once an employer receives a positive LMIA can the prospective employee apply for the corresponding work permit.

This program is considerably more restrictive than IEC:

The employer, not the applicant, drives the process — a candidate cannot apply for an LMIA on their own behalf, and there's no way to "self-sponsor."

The federal government has been reducing TFWP admissions targets year over year, and LMIA processing times have been getting longer.

Low-wage LMIA applications are currently not being processed in a number of major metro areas with high unemployment. The good news for most CoolWorks Canada employers: this restriction applies to census metropolitan areas specifically, so many rural and resort-town employers — ski hills, national park concessioners, guest ranches, and the like — fall outside the restricted zones and, in some provinces, currently qualify for temporary relief that raises the amount of their workforce that can be low-wage temporary foreign workers.

Because of these restrictions, most of the employers found on CoolWorks Canada are not able to sponsor an LMIA for international candidates. For this reason, non-Canadian residents should not apply directly to employers on CoolWorks Canada unless they explicitly state in their job posting that they’re able to hire candidates who need LMIA sponsorship.

To learn more about the TFWP and LMIA process, visit the official Government of Canada page on Hiring a Temporary Foreign Worker, or the current list of restricted regions for low-wage LMIA processing.