Most of Canada’s foreign workers fall under the International Mobility Program (IMP). In 2021, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issued more than 315,000 work permits under the IMP alone. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) accounted for about 104,000 work permits issued.

The major difference between the two programs is the need for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The TFWP requires employers to complete LMIAs to show there are no workers in Canada available to do the job, and hence the hiring of a foreign worker is necessary.

IMP work permits do not require LMIAs because their purpose is to support Canadian interests. The most common IMP work permits fall under the significant benefit and reciprocal employment categories. The government defines “significant benefit” as a foreign national whose work will benefit Canadians socially, culturally, or economically. Reciprocal employment is when Canada has an agreement with another country, which allows for the exchange of workers across borders. The labour market impact is considered neutral since foreign workers can have similar opportunities in Canada to what Canadian workers can have abroad.

IRCC regularly publishes monthly data on temporary residents and permanent residents. These newly-released data show where you were most likely to find IMP holders last year, categorized by occupation and province. Numbers are rounded to the nearest multiple of five.

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Ontario took in most IMP work permits

More than 135,000 IMP work permits went to the province of Ontario in 2021, double British Columbia, which came in second with over 55,000 work permits.

Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba rounded out the top five places where IMP work permits were issued.

IMP work permits issued in 2021 by province

Province	Total IMP work permits issued
Ontario	135,585
B.C.	55,315
Quebec	42,910
Not Stated	27,420
Alberta	19,670
Manitoba	11,565
Nova Scotia	7,605
Saskatchewan	6,710
New Brunswick	4,400
Prince Edward Island	2,100
Newfoundland and Labrador	1,815
Yukon	565
Northwest Territories	175
Nunavut	35

Top occupations by top 5 provinces

Ontario

Tech occupations were most commonly listed on Ontario IMP work permits. Computer programmers and interactive media developers took the top spot, followed by information systems analysts and consultants, and software engineers and designers.

University professors and lecturers were the fourth most common IMP work permit holders, followed by specialist physicians.

Top 5 Ontario IMP work permits by occupation

NOC – Occupation	# of IMP work permits issued in 2021
2174 – Computer programmers and interactive media developers	2,810
2171 – Information systems analysts and consultants	2,235
2173 – Software engineers and designers	2,035
4011 – University professors and lecturers	1,355
3111 – Specialist physicians	1,350

B.C.

Software engineers and designers were the most common IMP work permit holders in B.C. last year. Actors and comedians came in second place, followed by graphic designers and illustrators, university professors and lecturers, and information systems analysts and consultants.

Top 5 B.C. IMP work permits by occupation

NOC – Occupation	# of IMP work permits issued in 2021
2173 – Software engineers and designers	1,395
5135 – Actors and comedians	785
5241 – Graphic designers and illustrators	680
4011 – University professors and lecturers	670
2171 – Information systems analysts and consultants	360

Quebec

Graphic designers and illustrators were the top LMIA-exempt work permit holders in Quebec last year. University professors and lecturers came in second, followed by post-secondary teaching and research assistants. Specialist physicians and producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations held the fourth and fifth positions.

Top 5 Quebec IMP work permits by occupation

NOC – Occupation	# of IMP work permits issued in 2021
5241 – Graphic designers and illustrators	1,295
4011 – University professors and lecturers	1,070
4012 – Post-secondary teaching and research assistants	515
3111 – Specialist physicians	450
5131 – Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations	250

Alberta

University professors and lecturers were the most common IMP work permits holders in Alberta. Food service supervisors, post-secondary teaching and research assistants, cooks, and transport truck drivers also made the top five.

Top 5 Alberta IMP work permits by occupation

NOC – Occupation	# of IMP work permits issued in 2021
4011 – University professors and lecturers	530
6311 – Food service supervisors	325
4012 – Post-secondary teaching and research assistants	260
6322 – Cooks	240
7511 – Transport truck drivers	150

Manitoba

In Manitoba, industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers held the most IMP work permits. Transport truck drivers, athletes, cooks, and agriculture service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers took the subsequent positions.

Top 5 Manitoba IMP work permits by occupation

NOC – Occupation	# of IMP work permits issued in 2021
9462 – Industrial butchers and meat cutters, poultry preparers and related workers	360
7511 – Transport truck drivers	305
5251 – Athletes	135
6322 – Cooks	120
8252 – Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers	100

How to get LMIA-exempt work permits

There are many LMIA-exempt work permits available. The first step to get one is to learn your options, and determine what exactly you are looking for.

You may be able to qualify for an open work permit, which will allow you to hold any job in any Canadian province for any Canadian employer. All open work permits fall under the IMP. There are open work permit options for international student graduates, or youth from certain countries with reciprocal agreements to Canada, and spouses of Canadians and temporary residents.

There are also LMIA exemptions for certain professionals, investors, and traders from countries that have free trade agreements with Canada.

Canada also offers exemptions to eligible entrepreneurs, French-speaking skilled workers, and workers in occupations that are considered to promote the country’s interests.

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