Reciprocal Benefit

If a foreign national is eligible for a work permit under the reciprocal benefit category, their employer or prospective employer will not be required to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA).

Nonetheless, their employer or prospective employer will be required to file an offer of employment with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Immigration Canada) and pay the employer compliance fee before the foreign national can apply for a work permit under this category.  

To qualify for a work permit under the reciprocal benefit category, an employer or prospective employer in Canada must demonstrate that it provides similar employment opportunities abroad for its Canadian employees. An employer or prospective employer in Canada is expected to provide information and / or documentation evidencing reciprocity. Such information and documentation may include the following: 

• Copy of the company or institution’s global mobility policy relating to an exchange program; and
• Data with respect to the flow of exchange (e.g. the number of Canadian employees who have been on exchange abroad in the past year compared with the number of foreign nationals who have been on exchange in Canada in the past year). 

The adjudicating officer may also consider if there is reciprocity in terms of the duration of the exchanges and the level of the positions involved in the exchanges.

This category may be useful in circumstances where a foreign national does not qualify for a work permit under any of the other categories of the International Mobility Program. For example, if the foreign national is a junior employee and / or a new hire. 

If a foreign national does not require a temporary resident visa (TRV) to enter Canada, they may apply for a work permit at a Canadian port-of-entry (e.g. international airport, land crossing, etc.). However, if a foreign national does require a TRV to enter Canada, they must apply for a TRV and work permit at a Canadian visa office abroad prior to travelling to Canada. 

A foreign national may be issued a work permit which is valid for up to three years and extensions are possible.