A total of 531,700 work permits were issued during the reference period in 2010 (the start of the reference period), of which 174,876 were TFWP and 225,440 were IMP (42.4%).
When you look at the numbers from 2021 and make a comparison, you can see that out of a total of 963,400 work permits that were granted, the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) issued 145,473 permits, which accounts for approximately 15.1% of the total, whereas the International Mobility Program (IMP) issued 526,016 permits, making up a substantial 54.6% of the total permits issued that year.
It’s worth pointing out that over the course of a decade, the total count of work permits has nearly twofold, indicating a growing emphasis on immigration to tackle labor shortages. At the same time, the significance of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has notably declined.
These observations imply that Canada is currently in a situation where it can meet a substantial portion of its labor market demands with individuals who are already present in the country. There are, however, specific industries with chronic job openings where additional measures may be necessary.
Therefore, workers may have greater success pursuing work authorisation through the IMP, specifically the “post-graduation employment” and “work permit for study purposes”.
These are work authorisations tied to a study program, that have seen huge growth in numbers within the last ten years. This path to a work permit can be especially beneficial as it is often tied to immigrant success in the labour market due to the opportunity to improve on proficiency in English and French, gain connections, and receive a Canadian education credential.
Once people get a work permit in Canada, they often work towards getting permanent residency (PR). To do this, they need to work in Canada for at least one year, which is usually a requirement for most economic PR pathways. So, getting work experience is very important for them.
While this may seem lower than expected, 68% of work permit holders in 2020 reported a positive income through labour market participation (working). This percentage may be negatively affected by a number of factors, such as permit holders not in Canada despite their valid status, or people who are not seeking employment. If the participation figure takes into account those with a study permit who reported a positive income in 2020, the participation rate jumps to 83% of permit holders.
With 92% of work permit holders reporting positive income, agriculture programs were the most common stream in the TFWP that had reported positive income from work permit holders—not just the highest rate of any stream, but also the highest when IMP participation was taken into account.
The greatest participation percentage across IMP work permit streams (second only to TFWP farm streams) was 76% among work permit holders for post-graduation employment, followed by intra-company transferees (66%) and International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit holders (62%).