The Canadian government has realized the significance of Canada’s work permit alternatives for TV & film production. The permits enable the film/ TV personnel to arrive in the nation quickly & efficiently. Well, that’s because their entry is vital in creating jobs in the country & attracting significant advancements. 

TV/ film productions can bring essential personnel to the nation via the TV & Film Production Work Permit Category. In addition, foreign & Canadian companies who are filming in Canada can utilize this category to bring in foreign professionals if they demonstrate that the work to be performed is crucial. 

Work permits in this category are exempt from the LMIA requirement. The purpose of LMIA is to ensure that the hiring of foreign nationals will have a positive/ neutral impact on the labor market. However, being exempt from LMIA requires a facilitated work permit process & expedited processing times. 

Although exempt from the LMIA, international workers/ professionals must still comply with all the temporary work requirements in Canada, including Temporary Resident Visa. 

In addition, applicants in this category must provide documentation that represents meeting the requirements under the category. This includes a letter of support from the production, which contains the following: 

  • The name & contact information for production
  • The title of production & the provinces/ territories in which the production will take place
  • Proposed dates of production
  • Work permit applicant’s name for production
  • A statement confirming that individual & position is needed for specific production  
  • Details of how the production will benefit the nation. This might include: 
    • Signature of production’s senior representative
    • Date of signature
    • Estimated number of jobs for Canadians
    • The estimated budget spent in Canada at the federal, provincial, & territorial level
    • And finally, a statement confirming that TV/ film production satisfies the criteria for federal, provincial, & territorial tax credit 

If the foreign temporary worker’s/ professional’s position is unionized, a letter from the guild union is required, which would consist of the following: 

  • Description of union or guild
  • Working title & relevant locations of TV or film production. 
  • Name of the work permit applicant   
  • Signature of the senior representative of the organization
  • Signature date 
  • A statement for the officer’s consideration representing that the union/ guild is of the view that the work to be performed is subjected to a collective agreement & that it has no objection to the international worker working in a specific position for a particular company 

Business Visitor Work Permit Alternatives For TV & Film Production 

In some cases, foreign workers seeking entry to Canada to work in the entertainment industry are qualified as business visitors. Moreover, if an individual meets the requirements, they do not need a work permit.  

In response to Canada’s work permit alternatives, there are three main categories for people working in TV & film production who are considered business visitors:

  • Film Producers: This category includes people arriving in Canada who work on a movie, documentary, or TV show which must be a foreign-financed production.
  • Essential Personnel: This includes individuals seeking to enter Canada to work on a foreign-financed shoot. These people must be entering the nation for a short time period, i.e., not more than two weeks. 
  • Performing Artists: Individuals who are performing at an event, festival, or concert are included in this category. The individual should be entering Canada for a time-limited engagement. 

Thus, it is up to the discretion of the immigration officer to decide whether or not to give entry to a person as a business visitor. For film producers, in order to avoid issues at entry, individuals must be very familiar with the details of financing the production. Similarly, for essential personnel, considering what constitutes ‘essential’ is created on a case-by-case basis & is dependent on what evidence is given by the company.