A substantial portion of my practice is assisting employers with foreign workers. Generally speaking, unless the foreign worker is a US or Mexican professional (in which case NAFTA may apply), the employer needs to obtain a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) to employ an individual who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. The employer needs to apply for a LMO with Service Canada. The employer needs to show efforts at recruiting Canadian citizens or permanent residents; this is done by way of proof of advertisement. The employer needs to include a copy of an employment contract indicating appropriate wages (Service Canada will not issue a LMO if they feel the employment would result in downward pressure on wages for Canadians). Once the LMO is issued, the foreign national can apply for a work permit. Read more →