Countless people from Asia, America, and other regions of the world aspire to move to Canada. Yet they are restricted for various reasons. For those looking to immigrate to Canada without giving an LMIA, the IMP is best for that.
As someone who has migrated to and lived in Australia for the past several years and someone who works with licensed immigration lawyers through the Immigration and Education Services (IES) Portal, I will walk you through the advantages and eligibility process of IMP and the statistics about Canada’s International mobility program.
What is the International Mobility Program of Canada?
The International Mobility Program of Canada allows Canadian employers to hire international employees. A labor market impact assessment is relieved from this program. This exemption is beneficial for many international employees. This program grants you a work permit.
The international mobility program helps firms and setups to expand in business. They can hire well-qualified professionals around the globe and add to their expertise.
Benefits of the International Mobility Program
I have been associated with the academic and consulting field for about 25 years. Thus, I have no trouble stating that the International mobility program is helpful to both employers and employees. The benefits of IMP include
- In Canada, you may be able to get job experience. You get greater expertise in a particular profession as you gain more experience. You can get work experience in Canada due to the international mobility program. This is a fantastic opportunity to expand exposure for Canada.
- The labor market impact assessment won’t be applicable if you apply for a work permit through an open, restricted work permit or an open, unrestricted work permit.
- One benefit for Canadian employers is that they can hire specialists from anywhere globally to advance their company.
- You can have access to medical services through this program in the event of an emergency, an accident, or any illness.
- The employee accepts the compensation and overtime payment agreement under the international mobility program.
- Another benefit is that you may apply to many different programs and get a visa simultaneously.
- With the help of International Mobility Programs, you can enjoy working somewhere safe. It means that any situation of harassment and abuse can be reported.
- Employers are responsible for compliance costs under this program. But they won’t have to pay if the applicant or candidate has an open work visa.
- The procedure of applying for a work visa takes a very lengthy time. Yet, with this International Mobility Program, the waiting period is lessened.
- This program also increases the chances of getting permanent residence in Canada.
- With the International mobility program of Canada, the chances of bringing your family increase.
International Mobility Program Facts and Statistics
In a statistical report by Statista, the number of work permit holders in Canada through Immigration Mobility Programs in the year 2021 is 445,730. However, there were, 2000 year were 44,118 IMP permit holders.
According to another published statistic, 6.1 million immigrants arrived in Canada more than 10 years ago in 2021.
The numbers below show how many people have Canadian permits issued under the country’s International Mobility Program. In 2021, Indian nationals made up the majority of IMP permit holders in Canada, at 271,045. This information indicates that in 2021 there were a maximum of 271,045 permit holders, all of whom were Indian citizens.
According to a report published by Statista on 25th Oct 2022, the total number of immigrants that migrated to Canada during the span of 1st July 2021 to 30 June 2022 is 492, 984.
International Mobility Program Eligibility Criteria
The International Mobility Program is very beneficial for outsiders and Canadian citizens. The following individuals qualify for the global mobility program of Canada.
- a person with open work permits
- an intra-company transferee inside a corporation who is entering Canada.
- the individual who is traveling to Canada as a result of a trade agreement. The agreement may be the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) or the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Now some general eligibility requirements include
- You should have a proper academic background.
- you should be stable enough to afford the living expenses in Canada.
- you should have enough experience for the required designation.
- Your criminal history should be clear.
- you have good Physical health.
- You should be able to speak English or French.
Process of International Mobility Program
The application process begins with submitting an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer portal. After that, the temporary foreign worker handles the application for a work permit. When it arrives, You will receive the following two things:
- An introduction letter if you are from outside of Canada
- If you are in Canada, you will obtain a new work permit.
NOTE: The employer would have to create a profile to use the employer portal.
1. Documentation
You have to fulfill certain conditions and documentation for the further process:
- You will be required to have the identification documents. It includes a passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate, or any other identity document.
- You will have to provide complete Academy qualifications like university degrees and transcripts.
- Next comes the financial documents like the property documents, bank balance, and account.
- And the most important is any job-related document. It refers to a work letter contract or acquisition certificate in case of self-employment.
- You will also have to provide evidence of your clear background and medical test.
But if you are applying for ICT under IMP, then you will have to provide the following details:
- Documents that provide evidence that you are working in an international company outside Canada and you want to transfer to one of its branches in Canada.
- Provide a detailed business plan.
2. General Steps For Getting An IMP Work Visa
The general steps for getting an IMP work visa are as follows.
- Getting a job offer letter from a Canadian business, You have to get a job letter from the Canadian business who are inviting you to Canada. Once the job letter arises now, your employee can apply for the International Mobility Program.
- The employer extends the job.
- In another instance, if you have applied for a work visa yourself.
- Finally, you will get a work visa under the International Mobility Program of Canada.
Cost and Time Required for International Mobility Program
The employer portal charges $230 from the employers who are applying through this portal. Those who are hiring workers having open work permits will not have to pay these charges. Process time for the International Mobility Program is usually 2 weeks or slightly more than two weeks.
Your employer can only hire you through the employer portal if he has a profile built up there.
The delay in the approval is either due to the heavy flow of applications or due to restrictions for travel in Canada. But make sure that your application is complete and that you don’t have any other incomplete documentation in your application form.
Alternative Options for Immigrating to Canada
Besides the International Mobility Program, you can also look for the following Immigration programs.
This is the immigration program which is the world’s first immigration program. This is carried through Express entry. It has a high success rate for the empires and the employees. You can check the eligibility criteria for the federal skilled worker’s program. The main thing to note for this program is that you need to acquire 67 points under a 100-point grid which includes education, finances, Language, and work.
The Federal skilled trade program also comes under the express entry system, one of the three skilled workers programs. This was launched in the year 2013 and accommodated around 400,000 people every year. The successful candidate can get a permanent place within 6 months with this program.
The temporary foreign worker program is a labor market impact assessment-based program. In this program, the Canadian employees request the government to hire workers From around the world. The TWF is regulated by Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. this program is usually used when qualified candidates are not available in Canada.
FAQ
Three categories of people can apply under the International Mobility Program of Canada.
1. An employee of a corporation who is entering Canada
2. The one having an open work permit.
3. The person who is visiting Canada as a result of a trade deal. The accord might be the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) or the Agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico (CUSMA).
Employers in Canada can hire foreign or international workers under the country’s international mobility program. Asians are also eligible for the International Mobility Program because they fall under the same group. You only need to review the precise qualifying requirements. Workers who reside outside the region in other countries are also eligible to apply for this program.
The open work permit is Labor Market Impact assessment exempt. This work permit allows foreign workers to work for employers residing in Canada. You do not need a job offer to apply for this work permit, and you do not need to work for a specific employer. Instead, you can work with any organization or employer. The closed work permit, which is LMIA exempt, is a work permit that allows only foreign workers to work for a specific employer in Canada.
Each application for LMIA costs around $1000, but this has to be paid by the employer who is applying. It means that if an employer requests a file for 10 positions, he has to pay 10,000 dollars for those 10 positions.
Yes, you can get permanent residence when you apply for LMIA. The employers use the LMIA to hire foreign workers, so at the time of application, the employee can apply for dual intent LMIA. This will allow the foreign worker to get permanent residency and a work permit.
Related Resources:
Conclusion
In brief, the International Mobility Program facilitates the hiring of skilled overseas employees by Canadian firms. Their expertise can help your business and other firms develop. I have experience working for companies like British American Tobacco, Orascom, Unilever, and Nestle.
As a result, I’ve seen several foreign workers being engaged by Canadian businesses. obtaining permanent residency in Canada. The ability to settle your family is a benefit of IMP. You can visit our office for more advice or schedule an online consultation with our expert.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the information provided on this website is for general understanding only and should not be considered as legal advice. Every pages of the website is not updated every day. It is recommended to consult with our lawyers for latest information.