A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is sometimes required by Canadian employers before they will be permitted to employ a foreign worker in their business. Applicants for employer-specific work permits will need to provide evidence that their planned employer has applied for and received a ‘positive LMIA’ when they submit their work permit application.
The purpose of the LMIA is to help ensure that employers are prioritizing recruitment from the existing Canadian labour market (citizens and permanent residents) wherever possible. As such, a positive LMIA provides confirmation that:
- there is a need for a temporary foreign worker.
- no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job.
If an LMIA is required for a particular role, individuals should wait until their potential employer has received the positive LMIA before they submit their application for a work permit.
How to know if you need an LMIA
In order to determine if the role you are recruiting for or are interested in taking up requires or is exempt from needing an LMIA or work permit, you can check if the role is on either the LMIA exemption codes list or work permit exemptions list. If the role is exempt, take note of the relevant exemption code, as this may be needed in both the job offer and work permit application.
Nationals from certain countries which are exempt from requiring a visa to enter Canada may also be able to take up temporary roles without requiring an LMIA. In order to find out if this is possible, employers can choose to contact Canada’s International Mobility Workers Unit (IMWU).
If you think your business may be able to seek an LMIA or work permit exemption from the IMWU, please contact a member of our team and we will be happy to assist you with your application.
LMIA Exemption Codes
Exemption codes are available for a variety of roles, including technical specialists and migrants covered under certain international agreements and trade deals between Canada and other countries.
Examples of roles that have LMIA exemption codes are:
- ICT service suppliers
- Investors or traders from the UK, South Korea, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, USA
- Airline personnel
- Medical or dental residents
- Individuals undertaking charitable or religious work