Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

If you can’t fill your job with a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you’ll need to apply for an LMIA through Employment and Social Development Canada and Service Canada. If they agree there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job, you will get a positive LMIA

New Rules for LMIA Canada 2023

The application fee for LMIA requests is now $1000 per worker, an increase from the $275 per worker fee for LMOs.

 
Employers of some types of temporary workers need to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before the worker applies for a work permit. An LMIA is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada that gives the employer permission to hire a temporary worker.

This can include:

  • general: Self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc.
  • workers transferred within a company (intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge) – only those that will benefit Canada with their skills and experience.
  • workers under Mobilité francophone.
 
Receiving a positive LMIA for an arranged employment offer does not allow a skilled foreign worker to automatically immigrate to Canada. In order for skilled foreign workers to become permanent residents, they must meet all the requirements under the Express Entry immigration process.
 
The employer gets the LMIA approval from ESDC ( Employment and social development of Canada). ESDC assesses the offer of the employer to ensure that the employment of a foreign worker will not affect the Canadian job market. Hence LMIA is the first & foremost step towards getting your Work permit to Canada from India.
In general, the period of validity of the LMIA to support a work permit application is 18 months. Note: In certain cases where an employer has specific timelines for a short employment opportunity, ESDC may issue LMIAs that expire in under 18 months.
 
If anyone got LMIA without IELTS, can the immigration office have the right to refuse a visa? Yes, if an immigration officer believes you lack the language skills to do the full range in the job, they can deny your work permit and entry to Canada.
 
We may refuse to process your Labour Market Impact Assessment application for any position if you have had an application revoked in the past two years for having provided false, misleading or inaccurate information.
How long will it take for the authorities to take the permit? The human resource authorities typically take around two months to comply process any sort of LMIA request. Once the request is received, the LMIA can be taken further. It takes around three months to process the entire thing and get it approved.
 
Normally, you must be a Canadian or foreign youth aged 18 to 35. For some countries, the age limit is 18 to 29 or 30 years old.
As part of the LMIA application, the company will have to do a few things, such as:
  1. prove they are a legitimate business providing goods and services in Canada.
  2. state and prove that they actually need you to do the work for them in Canada.
  3. express and show that they can afford to pay you for the work in Canada.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job.

 
To change employers, you must apply to change the conditions of your work permit. Before you apply, you need some information and documents from your new employer. What you need will depend on if the employer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to hire you.
 
The funds must be available both when you apply and when (if) we issue you a permanent resident visa. You must prove to an immigration officer that you can legally access the money to use here when you arrive. For proof, you must get official letters from any banks or financial institutions where you’re keeping money

An open work permit can only be issued to a foreign national under one of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) exemptions. An open work permit enables a person to work for any employer for a specified period of time. An open restricted permit may restrict the occupation or location but not the employer.

 
This may take up to 30 business days (6 weeks)
 
If you’re applying for a work permit and your family members want to come to Canada, they must also apply to visit, or to work or study in Canada. They can apply at the same time as you

Find out if you need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), how to hire workers through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and International Mobility Program (IMP), what to do after you’ve hired a worker and how to extend a temporary worker’s work permit.

Find out if you need an LMIA

List of LMIA exemptions, how to find your exemption code and who to contact if you need help

Find Out Now

Hire a worker with an LMIA

How to hire a temporary worker when an LMIA is required and specific requirements for hiring in Quebec

Find Out How

Hire a worker without an LMIA

How to hire a temporary worker when you don’t need an LMIA, how to submit an offer of employment and cases where you don’t have to pay the employer compliance fee

Find Out How

After you hire a temporary worker

What happens when the worker arrives in Canada, your responsibilities as an employer and inspections you are subject to

Learn More

Extend a temporary worker’s permit

What you and the temporary worker must do to extend their work permit

Find Out How

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