Canadian work permits for athletes

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Canadian work permits for athletes
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Athletes and staff working for a non-Canadian
employer

• Although foreign athletes and coaches are
  technically foreign workers, some of the rules
  and regulations of the Temporary Foreign Worker
  Program (TFWP) do not apply to them. It would be
  overly burdensome to subject these individuals to
  the rules and procedures usually associated with
  the TFWP, and would prevent Canada from
  participating in international sporting events.
• Therefore, as long these individuals are a member
  of a foreign-based team or an athlete
  representing a foreign country, a work permit is
  generally not required. The same goes for any of
  the foreign team or athletes essential personal
  and support staff.

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Athletes and staff joining a Canadian employer

• If a foreign national wants to join a
  Canada-based sports team or represent Canada as
  an individual athlete, they usually do need a
  work permit.
• However, even in this scenario, much of the red
  tape usually associated with acquiring a work
  permit is removed from the process. This is
  because such athletes can be exempt from
  the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
  requirement, which is usually the most onerous
  aspect of getting a work permit.

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• The LMIA is usually necessary to demonstrate that
  there is a labour shortage and, as a result, the
  Canadian employer was unable to find a Canadian
  citizen or permanent resident to fill the
  position. As such, LMIA applications are
  scrutinized very closelyeven a trivial error can
  jeopardize the success of these applications.
• LMIA-exempt work permits are exempt from
  demonstrating this labour shortage. Consequently,
  it is important to ensure athletes are eligible
  for this type of work permit and have a
  well-prepared work permit application.

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THANK YOU