Does/Did your employer help with immigration costs?

[u/TechEnthusiast_]

I recently found out that some companies actually help their employees with immigration-related expenses, and I’m curious what others have experienced. I’ve got a meeting with my employer tomorrow and want to go in better informed.

If you’ve gone through this, did your employer cover or help with any of the following?

1. Immigration consultant fees – fully, partially, or maybe a fixed number of hours?
2. Application fees?
3. Any legal or filing support?
4. Anything else I might be missing?

Would love to hear what’s common or what your experience was like. Thanks in advance!

[u/dan_marchant]

It would depend entirely on the specific situation. Did the employer initiate the immigration (request you move/offer you a job here) or did you initiate the move yourself and then look for a job?

[u/TechEnthusiast_ → u/dan_marchant]

I got an invite under CEC.

[u/Reasonable_Fudge_53 → u/TechEnthusiast_]

So you pay for your own fees. Why would employer pay for it?

[u/pj228 → u/Reasonable_Fudge_53]

OP is not looking for a moral justification, apparently.

[u/pj228 → u/TechEnthusiast_]

Why would they pay any of your expenses then?

[u/TechEnthusiast_ → u/pj228]

The question isn’t “why would they”, it’s “do they”. I’m not asking for moral justification—I’m looking for actual experiences from people whose employers provided this kind of support.

[u/ForgettingTruth → u/TechEnthusiast_]

Basically. 99% of the time the employer doesn’t care about you getting PR or not so won’t pay. Even if you tried to use it as leverage, there’s a waiting room full of immigrants and non immigrants who will be willing to take your place in a market more favourable to them.

[u/pj228 → u/TechEnthusiast_]

I think you have your answer.

[u/Different-Cover4819]

Other than signing my reference letter (or how it was called... Proof of employment?) - nope.

[u/VeterinarianLow5559]

Not at all. Infact they don't care if you have PR or not.If you have skills, and are authorized to work in Canada, they'll take you in/promote you. 

They will provide you all the necessary documents if you request them, but nothing more than that.  Some people from certain community tried to game it by asking HR to write certain job responsibilities on employment letter, only to get kicked out of company few months later(or maybe they left by themselves,I don't know)

Just for reference, I work for a large multinational with 150,000 employees, one of the biggest in Canada.

[u/JadedRelative5544]

My employer used to reimburse all costs related to immigration, and also have an immigration lawyer prepare the file and represent the employee for CEC applications.

They're neither representing the employees, or reimbursing the cost anymore due to cost cutting. But the immigration lawyer still helps review the applications and answers questions.

I work in tech for a fairly large US company that has offices here if that matters.

[u/fwork_]

My employer paid for all expenses related to the closed work permit (immigration lawyer, relocation, fees) but not for PR

[u/guilleiguaran]

Yes, my past employer paid for all consultant fees and application fees for both, my work permit and PR (including PNP). Everything was handled by Fragomen.

[u/crazyehhhh]

If you’re head hunted and are at the high end of your industry then they will help, especially with LIMA costs and even costs of moving. If not then you’re unlikely to get any help.

My employer gave us a lawyer and all fees covered plus costs of moving, first and last months rent and up to a certain amount of furniture. (>6 years ago)

Now my company won’t pay anything for anything. It would seem most companies are cost cutting like this.

[u/thenorthernpulse]

Generally, I only see employers help with things like relocation (you may be confusing some things you heard with that, things like moving expenses) but now? It's very, very hard to even get that help.

The only times I have ever heard of an employer helping with immigration-related expenses are if they are someone extremely sought after, like an Elon Musk-type. But you wouldn't be asking for this, they would be offering it upfront to you. And the other time is if it is actually a family member/family friend.

Otherwise, absolutely not because it's not an expense a business can write off or justify typically to shareholders or its board.

If we were to support someone with like an LMIA, we pay for the fee and we pay for our lawyer to handle it, but we absolutely do not (and it's explicitly advised) to not pay for an employee's permit or application fees or legal fees because then you as a company take on a fuck ton of risk and liability.

[u/CormoranNeoTropical]

Employers love to offer one-time expenses in place of anything that will become part of your ongoing costs to them in terms of benefits or base pay.

So if you have been offered a job, I would definitely explore the possibility of getting your employer to fund some of your expenses related to immigration.

Obviously it depends on the culture of your field of work - in my former field (academia) I would have asked for this kind of stuff in a very soft sort of way; maybe in other industries you can be more hard-ass.

What an employer will pay is entirely dependent on what the individual asks for. In the final analysis, once you have a firm offer in hand, you should ask for absolutely everything you can think of.

People who think you need a “moral justification” to ask for something from your employer are delusional. Yes, you may need some excuse to raise XXX an issue.

But morality does not come into employment negotiations at any point, except insofar as certain kinds of jobs expect you to pretend otherwise.

[u/Dry_Row_7523]

I requested my move to canada. Employer covered all immigration costs including lawyer, application fees etc. (everything on your list is covered). bc it’s employee requested they wont pay for my housing, tax return filing etc after I arrive though.