Canadian employers may have to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before the foreign national they are looking to hire can apply for a work permit. LMIA is an application made by the employer to Employment and Social Development Canada, Service Canada in order to get permission to hire a foreign worker.
An LMIA application is required to prove that there is a need for a temporary worker and that no Canadian citizens or permanent residents are available to do the job.
There are some jobs in Canada that are exempt from having an employer obtain an LMIA. Our immigration law group will assist your prospective employer to determine whether an LMIA application is required. Even if the job is LMIA-exempt, the employer must submit an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pay an employer compliance fee. Our team can assist your company with these steps. If the LMIA application is successful, we can prepare and submit the work permit application.
In order to obtain an LMIA, employers must advertise the position for at least four weeks and interview candidates who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. The recruitment process is far from straightforward, as it varies depending on the stream.
