Temporary jobs for foreigners in Canada
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If you thought temporary work in Canada was just summertime farm work, you were wrong.
Canada has a Temporary Foreign Worker program. Under this program, a Canadian employer can not only hire you temporarily but also make you a job offer to apply for permanent residency through the Express Entry system or one of the provincial immigration programs. In some programs only having a work contract is sufficient, while others require you to work for some time, such as 1 year.
The Temporary Foreign Worker program is divided into several streams:
Agricultural stream
Under this stream, Canadian employers can hire foreign workers for a maximum work period of up to 3 years when they cannot find a suitable Canadian or resident.
The temporary foreign worker can be from any country. The employer's activities must be directly related to agriculture, i.e:
- work duties must be performed within the boundaries of the farm, nursery, or greenhouse, and must also include the operation of farm equipment;
- or the care, breeding, or another handling of animals, other than fish, to obtain raw animal products for the market;
- or collection, processing, and other manipulation performed on plants for their subsequent sale.
This stream needs managers in agriculture, managers in horticulture, farmers in livestock and crop production, landscaping specialists, nursery and greenhouse workers, and harvesting equipment workers. For employment, you must find an employer and get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), and then get a work permit. The requirements for experience, education, and knowledge of English or French depend on the specific occupation.
There is also a separate Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SWAP), but it applies only to Mexican and Caribbean citizens.
Caregivers stream
Candidates in this stream are called upon to provide in-home care for children, the elderly (over the age of 65), and people with high medical needs (disabilities or chronic illnesses). Minimum employment is 30 hours per week. They can be nannies, caregivers, nurses, and home care workers. Typically, the job involves full-time work — 40-44 hours per week.
You need at least a high school education and enough English or French to communicate daily. You will also need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is processed and paid for by the employer, and a work permit.
Nannies and caregivers who take a job with a family often can get a work contract without an LMIA and then apply for permanent residency after a year.
Academic positions
Applicants must have completed at least one post-graduate education and have experience teaching at the university as well as practicing research. Academic advisors and examiners, graduate assistants, and self-funded researchers do not need a work permit at all. Others, on the other hand, need a permit but are not required to complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). They are postdoctoral fellows, research award recipients, eminent people such as leaders in various fields of science, and guest lecturers.
Global Talent Stream
Global Talent Stream is designed to attract highly skilled foreign talent to innovative firms in Canada. Applications for work permits through this stream are processed through an expedited procedure — on average within 10 business days.
Other occupations
Your occupation does not necessarily have to qualify under the above streams to get a job in Canada. Canadian employers can hire applicants in most occupations if they can prove that they have not found suitable candidates among citizens and permanent residents, and offer the alien a wage at or above the average hourly wage in a particular region for a particular occupation.
Work visa to Canada: Can I bring my children with me?
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