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LMIA
LMIA & Employer-Specific Work Permits
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is an assessment by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). A positive LMIA generally confirms that hiring the foreign worker is expected to have a positive or neutral impact on the Canadian labour market and may support an employer-specific work permit application.
Watch: LMIA Work Permit — overview
$1,000standard employer LMIA processing fee per position where the fee applies
30+ Hoursfull-time employment requirement for standard high-wage positions
Employer Applies Firstthe foreign worker normally applies to IRCC after a positive LMIA is issued
High-Wage Positions
- Wage is at or above the current provincial/territorial wage threshold.
- Employer normally needs a transition plan unless an exemption applies.
- Employers may request employment duration of up to 3 years where justified under current rules.
- Recruitment and prevailing-wage requirements apply.
Low-Wage Positions
- Wage is below the current provincial/territorial wage threshold.
- Standard cap is currently 10% of the workforce at a work location.
- Selected sectors/occupations have a 20% cap.
- Maximum requested employment duration is generally 1 year.
Current low-wage restriction: certain low-wage LMIA applications for jobs in a Census Metropolitan Area with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher are refused processing, subject to current exemptions. ESDC updates the applicable unemployment rates and wage thresholds periodically.
Typical LMIA → Work Permit Process
1. Employer PreparationConfirm stream, wage, business legitimacy and recruitment requirements.
2. LMIA ApplicationEmployer submits the LMIA to Service Canada/ESDC.
3. Positive LMIAIf approved, the employer provides the decision information to the worker.
4. Work PermitThe worker applies separately to IRCC and must meet all work-permit and admissibility requirements.
A positive LMIA is not a work permit. The worker cannot assume they are authorized to work merely because the employer received a positive LMIA. IRCC separately decides the work permit.
