International Mobility Program (IMP)

What is the International Mobility Program?

The International Mobility Program is the umbrella for every Canadian work permit that is exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment. The logic is simple. In these cases, letting the worker in serves a wider Canadian goal: economic competitiveness, reciprocal benefits for Canadians working abroad, or an obligation under a trade agreement. Because that wider interest is met, the labour-market test is waived. This makes the IMP the natural route for multinational companies, treaty nationals and certain specialised workers.

Removing the LMIA does not remove the rules. Each IMP category has its own eligibility criteria and evidence requirements, and choosing the right one is where most of the work lies.

An LMIA-exempt work permit, explained

A work permit without an LMIA is the practical promise of the IMP. An LMIA-exempt work permit still ties to a specific exemption category, each carrying its own LMIA exemption code, but it skips the Labour Market Impact Assessment entirely. For most employer-specific categories the employer files the offer of employment online and receives an offer of employment number that you quote in your work-permit application.

The main LMIA-exempt categories and exemption codes

The IMP is broad, but most cases we see fall into a handful of categories, each tied to a specific LMIA exemption code that IRCC uses to identify the exemption. The table below sets out the most common routes, the code they rely on, and who they suit in plain English. Choosing the right code is where most of the work lies, because the evidence that supports each one is different.

Treaty-based permits: CUSMA and CETA

A large share of IMP cases run on Canada's trade agreements. Work permits under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), formerly NAFTA, let qualifying US and Mexican citizens work in Canada in named professional categories and as intra-company transferees without an LMIA, and eligible applicants can often be processed at a Canadian port of entry.

The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) opens similar LMIA-exempt routes for EU nationals, including professionals, intra-corporate transferees, contractual service suppliers and independent professionals. Each agreement has its own occupation lists and conditions, so the first step is matching your nationality and role to the correct treaty category and exemption code. See our CUSMA work permit and CETA work permit guides for the detail.

Canadian-interest categories: significant benefit and intra-company transfers

Where no treaty applies, many workers still qualify under a broad Canadian interest. The significant benefit category (codes C10 and C11) covers workers, entrepreneurs and self-employed people whose presence delivers a clear social, cultural or economic benefit that outweighs the usual labour-market test.

The intra-company transfer (code C12) is the most heavily used Canadian-interest route: it lets a multinational move an existing executive, senior manager or specialised-knowledge employee to a Canadian office, provided the worker has the qualifying role and a qualifying period of prior employment with the company abroad. Both are employer-specific and both still require the employer compliance steps described below.

Reciprocal employment and francophone mobility

Reciprocal employment (the C20 series) rests on a simple idea: if a role here creates comparable opportunities for Canadians working abroad, the labour-market test can be waived.

Several exchange and youth-mobility arrangements, including parts of International Experience Canada, sit on this logic. Francophone Mobility (code C16) is a distinct stream that lets French-speaking workers take eligible jobs anywhere in Canada outside Quebec without an LMIA, supporting francophone minority communities. Because the eligible occupations and language thresholds for francophone mobility are reviewed periodically, we confirm the current criteria on canada.ca for each case.

How an IMP work permit works

The exact steps depend on the category, but an employer-specific IMP permit generally follows this shape.

1. 01

   Confirm the exemption

   We identify which LMIA-exempt category fits your role, employer and nationality, and confirm the LMIA exemption code it relies on.

2. 02

   Employer submits the offer

   The employer files the offer of employment in the IRCC Employer Portal, pays the compliance fee and receives the offer of employment number.

3. 03

   Apply for your work permit

   You apply for the work permit online, on arrival, or at a port of entry depending on the category.

4. 04

   Plan your PR pathway

   We map how the Canadian experience you build leads to permanent residence.

How the employer's side works

Even though the International Mobility Program removes the LMIA, employer-specific categories still place clear obligations on the Canadian employer. The difference is that, instead of an ESDC labour-market test, the employer interacts directly with IRCC before the worker applies. Three things matter most: the offer of employment, the employer compliance fee, and the conditions that continue to apply after the permit is issued.

• The offer of employment via the IRCC Employer Portal. For most LMIA-exempt employer-specific roles, the employer submits an offer of employment online through the IRCC Employer Portal. This is not an LMIA, it is an offer-of-employment submission that flags the relevant LMIA exemption code and the job details.
• The offer of employment number. Once the offer is submitted and the fee is paid, the system generates an offer of employment number (it begins with an "A"). You quote this number on your own work-permit application, which links your application to the employer's submission.
• The employer compliance fee. The employer pays a one-time employer compliance fee per offer for most IMP categories. Some categories, such as certain reciprocal and not-for-profit arrangements, are fee-exempt. The amount changes periodically, so confirm the current employer compliance fee on canada.ca.
• Conditions still apply. No LMIA does not mean no rules. Employers must keep records, pay the wage stated in the offer, and comply with program conditions. IRCC conducts compliance inspections, and employers who do not meet their obligations can face penalties.

IMP or TFWP: which side are you on?

Canada's work-permit system has two halves. The International Mobility Program is the LMIA-exempt side; the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is the LMIA-based side. The first question in any case is which one applies, because it changes who does what, how long it takes, and what evidence is needed.

If your role fits an exemption code, the IMP is almost always the faster, simpler route. If it does not fit any exemption, an LMIA under the TFWP is the path instead. We check the exemption codes first, before assuming an LMIA is needed, because an exempt route saves both the employer and the worker time and cost.

From an IMP permit to permanent residence

An International Mobility Program work permit gets you working in Canada quickly, and that experience is valuable beyond the job itself. Skilled Canadian work experience can qualify you for the Canadian Experience Class under Express Entry, or for a Provincial Nominee Program such as the Alberta AAIP. We plan the IMP permit and the permanent-residence route together. To see which pathways may fit you, try our free eligibility checker.

How Wild Mountain helps with the International Mobility Program

Working under a licensed RCIC (CICC #R706497), our team treats the International Mobility Program as a system of exemptions to be matched, not a single form. We start by confirming whether your role is genuinely LMIA-exempt and, if so, which LMIA exemption code it relies on, whether that is a CUSMA or CETA treaty category, an intra-company transfer, significant benefit, reciprocal employment or francophone mobility.

We then coordinate the employer's offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal, confirm the employer compliance fee is paid, and prepare your work-permit application around the offer of employment number. We represent clients entirely online, by video call and secure document sharing.

Whether you need a work permit without an LMIA through the International Mobility Program or a route under the TFWP, the outcome always rests with IRCC, never with us. What we do is read the exemption codes correctly, keep the employer compliance steps on track, and line up the permanent-residence pathway so the temporary permit builds toward something lasting. Explore all Canadian work permits or get an honest read on your case through our eligibility checker.