Under the International Mobility Program, an employer can hire a foreign national without an LMIA if the position falls within an exemption set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. The employer submits an offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pays the employer compliance fee; the worker then applies for the permit citing the specific exemption code. Most exemptions produce an employer-specific permit, though some are open.
We work across the full range of exemption codes in the International Mobility Program. The ones that come up most often are the Intra-Company Transfer (C12), for executives, senior managers and specialized knowledge workers moving from a foreign company to a related Canadian entity; Francophone Mobility (C16), for French-speaking workers taking skilled positions outside Quebec; charitable work (C51), for positions whose duties are genuinely charitable in nature; and the professional, trader and investor permits available under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) and similar free trade agreements. Others cover reciprocal employment, significant benefit to Canada, research and academic exchanges, religious work, and open permits for certain spouses and dependants. Each exemption has its own evidentiary test, so the first job is working out which one your situation actually fits.
Because there is no ESDC assessment, IRCC officers scrutinize the exemption itself. An ICT fails when the corporate relationship or the applicant’s specialized knowledge is not documented convincingly. A Francophone Mobility application fails when the language evidence or the occupation level is wrong. A C51 application fails when the employer is a charity but the work is not. A CUSMA professional application fails when the credential does not match the listed profession. We build the file around the test the officer will apply.
Who this is for
- Multinational businesses transferring executives, managers or specialized knowledge staff to a Canadian parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate
- French-speaking foreign nationals with a skilled job offer outside Quebec who qualify for Francophone Mobility
- Registered charities and non-profit organizations hiring foreign nationals for roles that are charitable in nature
- Citizens of the United States or Mexico taking up a listed profession, or trading or investing in Canada, under CUSMA
- Workers or employers who have been told they need an LMIA and want a second opinion on whether an exemption applies
What we do
- Analyze the position, the employer and the worker to identify every exemption that may apply, and recommend the strongest one
- Prepare the employer’s offer of employment in the Employer Portal and confirm the compliance fee and exemption code are correct
- For ICTs, document the qualifying corporate relationship, the applicant’s tenure abroad and the executive, managerial or specialized knowledge nature of the role
- For Francophone Mobility, assemble accepted evidence of French proficiency and confirm the occupation meets the current eligibility level
- For C51, show that the organization and the specific duties meet IRCC’s definition of charitable work, not simply that the employer is a charity
- For CUSMA applications, match the credentials to the listed profession or prepare the trader or investor business documentation, then file and handle IRCC follow-up
How it works
- 1
Exemption analysis
We review the job, the employer and your background and tell you which exemption applies, if any, and how strong the case is.
- 2
Employer Portal offer
We prepare the offer of employment with the correct exemption code, wage and job details so the employer side is complete and compliant.
- 3
Evidence and submission
We gather the corporate, language, charitable-purpose, credential or trade evidence the exemption requires, draft a submission letter and file the permit application through the appropriate route.
- 4
Decision and next steps
We respond to IRCC requests, prepare you for any port-of-entry examination, and advise on extensions and permanent residence options once you are working.