Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

Most employers would require a LMIA before they can hire a temporary foreign worker.

Before the employer start the hiring process, you must determine if you need an LMIA or not.

An LMIA confirms

There is a need for a temporary foreign worker and no Canadians or permanent residents are willing and available to do the job

To see if you and the temporary foreign worker you want to hire are exempt from needing an LMIA or work permit, do one of the following: review the LMIA exemption codes and work permit exemptions

Select the LMIA exemption or work permit code that seems most relevant to your hiring situation and read the detailed description if an exemption code applies to you, you’ll need to include it in your offer of employment

Source: CIC.GC.CA

The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is to applied by the employer so as to assess the likely impact of hiring the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) on the Canadian job market. If the employer receives a positive LMIA, then the temporary foreign worker can apply for their work permit. It is a process which involves thorough knowledge of the entire process and involves various steps as follows:

Step 1: Employer applies for Labour Market Impact Assessment after fulfilling the criteria and requirement

Stage 2: If LMIA is positive, then Employer extends Temporary Job Offer to the worker

Stage 3: After which Foreign Worker applies for Work Permit

Stage 4: Then Work Permit will be issued if the officer is fully satisfied with the application and supporting documents

To know more do not delay to book your consultation with Immigration professional

Notice: Labour Market Impact Assessment application processing times

Many factors must be evaluated before we can issue an LMIA decision. You can help reduce delays in processing your application by:

• ensuring your Labour Market Impact Assessment application is complete before it is submitted
• responding promptly to Service Canada requests for additional information or documentation

Average Labour Market Impact Assessment processing times:

Please note that these processing times are averaged across all processing centres in Canada. Timelines represent the average time it takes to process an application from when it is received by Service Canada to when the decision letter is sent to you via mail.

Note: Under the TFW Program, many employers are exempted from paying the CAD 1 000 fee; for example, positions under the TFW Program’s Agriculture Stream.

*If the applicant is exempt from the requirement to pay the work permit processing fee, he/she will be exempt from the requirement to pay the open work permit holder fee. If the applicant is exempt from the requirement to pay the work permit processing fee, the employer will be exempt from the requirement to pay the open work permit holder fee.

Source: OECD Secretariat with data from IRCC.