How to check the legality of an employer?

If you have found a job in Canada, before you start working, it is important to make sure that your employer is legally operating in the country. It's not difficult to do and will take a little time, but it will allow you to make sure that you can work safely in this organization.

Check the company's registration

The first step in checking the legitimacy of an employer is to check its registration. In Canada, all companies must be registered at the federal or provincial level. To do this, visit the website of the provincial government. Each province has its own registration authority where you can find information about companies. For example, in Alberta, you should contact the Alberta Corporate Registry, in Ontario it may be ServiceOntario, and in British Columbia it may be BC Registries and Online Services.

Check the website and social media

Modern companies usually have their own websites and social media profiles.

  • Assess how professional the website looks. Does it contain up-to-date information about services, vacancies, and contact details? Grammatical errors or outdated and irrelevant information is a red flag.
  • Company profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram provide insight into the company's corporate culture and activity.

Reviews and ratings

When looking for information about an employer, pay attention to reviews from other employees. Use Glassdoor, Indeed, or Google Reviews to check for company reviews. Pay attention to general trends - if the majority of reviews are negative, it indicates that there are problems.

Get in touch with employees

If the company is large and well-known, try to contact former or current employees:

  • Use the LinkedIn platform to find people who work or have worked for the company. You can send them a message asking them to share their experiences.
  • There are also professional forums and communities where you can find people with similar experiences.

Check on the immigration website

If you plan to work in Canada under an immigration program, make sure your employer is authorized to hire foreigners:

  • On the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) website, you can find information on whether the employer is on the list of approved employers.
  • If your prospective employer requires a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), make sure they have received one.

Checking the legality of an employer is an important step in the job search process. It is better to spend some time researching to find a safe and stable job in Canada than to have problems later.