Labour Market Impact Assessment
Employers of High-Skilled foreign workers who require an LMIA can choose to complete either a Temporary LMIA or a Permanent LMIA application. There is Government processing fees of $ 1000.00 for LMIA applications but this fees is exempted in case you are applying LMIA to support permanent residence application under express entry program.
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 and that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.
Your proposed employer must contact Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). ESDC will provide details on the LMIA application process.
In some cases, you may not need an LMIA to apply for a work permit.
As a general rule, any applicant who has a suitable job offer from a Canadian employer, but who does not have a valid temporary work permit and is not authorized to work in Canada must have the Canadian employer obtain an Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) prior to submitting their FSWP application in order to benefit from Arranged Employment.
In some cases, foreign workers who are currently working in Canada are still required to have their employers obtain an LMIA to benefit from Arranged Employment. This includes the following types of applicants:
Foreign workers who have a job offer from a Canadian employer that is different from the employer indicated on their work permits;
Foreign workers who have work permits that were issued without an LMIA due to exemptions other than those noted above, e.g. the Intra-Company Transfer category;
Foreign workers who have open work permits (not linked to any specific employer); and
Individuals who are authorized to work in Canada without a work permit, such as business visitors.
One interesting aspect of the new Arranged Employment regulations is that an LMIA obtained from Service Canada entitles the applicant to a temporary work permit immediately. Thus, the applicant may be able to come to Canada as a temporary foreign worker immediately, while their permanent residence FSWP application is still being processed.