When the local pool runs out, widen the search.
The real question is not “can we recruit internationally”, but “which route applies to my position, in my region, at the wage I offer”. An excellent candidate for whom no route is open is not a candidate. That analysis is part of screening, not of the step after.
Explore the optionsWhat makes an international mandate realistic
We always search locally across Canada first. If we propose the international route, it is because local has been tested seriously, not because it suits us.
A realistic mandate means
- A position whose category is compatible with at least one open route
- A work location not covered by a restrictive regional measure
- A wage consistent with regional norms for that occupation
- An employer ready to take on their compliance obligations
- A timeline that accounts for real government processing times
What we refuse to do
- Promise you a timeline. The authorities decide, not us
- Launch a mandate on a position we know no route covers
- Present a candidate whose situation has not been legally validated
- Repeat a mandate unchanged after repeated rejections, without recalibrating with you
The decision tree, simplified
This is the reasoning we follow on every file. It does not replace an individual assessment, but it shows why two neighbouring businesses do not get the same answer.
The three categories, compared
IEC is an exchange program based on agreements between Canada and more than thirty-five partner countries. Each country offers a different combination of categories: not all three are available everywhere.
| Working Holiday | Young Professionals | International Co-op | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit type | Open | Closed, tied to your company | Closed, tied to your company |
| Job offer beforehand | Not required | Signed, before entering the pool | Signed internship offer, before entering the pool |
| Job level | No requirement | Skilled positions. A post-secondary diploma can widen eligibility | The internship must be required by the study program |
| Duration | Up to 24 months | Up to 24 months | Up to 12 months |
| Cost to you | None | $230 compliance fee | $230 compliance fee |
| Compliance obligations | No | Yes: portal account, job offer filed, number passed to the candidate | Yes, same obligations |
Quotas are limited and specific to each country. A candidate has no guarantee of receiving an invitation, and a staffing plan cannot rest on this route alone. We factor that in from the strategy stage.
For an unskilled position, one route stands out
This is the most useful thing on this page, and almost nobody tells employers about it.
The Working Holiday permit imposes no job level. It is the only route that lets you hire a foreign worker for a production role with no LMIA, no CAQ, no job posting requirement and no government fees on your side.
Sewing operator, general labourer, painter’s helper, press brake operator, material handler: these roles are reachable through this route while they are excluded or heavily constrained under the others.
And because the permit is open, you have no portal account to open, no job offer to file and no compliance fee to pay.
Free trade agreements and specialised mobility
What these agreements allow
Canada is bound by several agreements that exempt certain professionals and technicians from the LMIA, based on their nationality. No LMIA, no CAQ, but compliance obligations for you.
Each agreement contains a closed list of occupations. If the occupation is not on it, the exemption does not apply, and no broad reading is possible.
What that means for a manufacturer
Production trades are generally not on those annexes. Supervisor and foreman roles in metal forming, fabricating and assembling, or mechanics, however, do appear in several agreements.
In other words: this route works for a shop floor supervisor, not for a production role. We check the occupation against the annex before proposing anything.
When no exemption applies
That leaves the standard route: demonstrating no citizen or permanent resident was available, obtaining a federal assessment and, in Quebec, a provincial certificate. It is longer, more tightly framed, and subject to restrictions that change often.
What to know before committing
- Documented recruitment efforts and a job posting are required
- Government fees are the employer’s responsibility
- Regional measures apply in Montreal and Laval for certain low-wage applications
- A separate federal rule takes the unemployment rate of the metropolitan area into account
- An approved federal permit without a valid Quebec certificate does not authorise work in Quebec
How we handle it
We do not sell this as an off-the-shelf product, because the outcome depends entirely on your situation: the region, the sector, the wage offered and when the application is filed.
Write to us. We review your file and connect you with the legal department, which will tell you whether the route is feasible, on what conditions and at what cost.
Employers in other Quebec regions are not covered by the Quebec measure. Every situation must be checked individually, and an analysis done six months ago may already be out of date.
What you pay, and when
IEC Working Holiday: $1,500 + tax. IEC Young Professionals and qualified international profile: $2,500 + tax. The route is determined by the analysis, not decided up front.
- Two-week trial period, confirmed with you in writing
- Replacement at no charge for three months, under the conditions set out in your contract
- Government compliance fee: $230 on your side, only for permits tied to your company. The Working Holiday permit carries none
- Candidate fees, where they apply, are theirs and paid directly to the authorities
- Exact terms, exclusions and guarantee conditions are set out in the service proposal you receive
The other parts of the mandate
We prepare and coordinate applications. Any decision concerning an immigration application, an LMIA, a CAQ, a work permit or a visa rests exclusively with the competent government authorities. No positive outcome, processing time or priority treatment can be guaranteed by using a representative.
The information published here is general and does not constitute legal advice. Eligibility depends on the candidate’s citizenship, age and occupation, the position, the wage, the work location, the employer’s situation and the rules in force when the application is filed. Recruitment and paid immigration representation are distinct services, governed by distinct mandates.
Two ways to reach us
Both lead to the same place: someone who knows your file.