What is an LMIA?

LMIA in one paragraph

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document an employer obtains from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that demonstrates no Canadian worker is available to fill a specific role, allowing them to hire a foreign worker on a work permit. The LMIA is the employer's document, not the worker's. Without an LMIA (or an LMIA-exempt pathway), most foreign workers cannot legally start a Canadian job.

Who gets an LMIA, and who doesn't

The employer applies for and receives the LMIA. The foreign worker does not apply for an LMIA directly. The employer pays a processing fee (currently $1,000 CAD per position) and must demonstrate they advertised the role to Canadians for a minimum period (usually four weeks across multiple channels) before resorting to foreign hiring.

Once the employer has a positive LMIA, the worker uses it to apply for a work permit.

The two LMIA streams that matter most

1. High-wage stream

For positions that pay at or above the provincial median wage. Used for most skilled professional roles. Typical processing: 2–3 months, sometimes faster.

2. Low-wage stream

For positions paying below the provincial median. Tighter requirements on the employer (housing support, transportation cost coverage, limits on the share of low-wage foreign workers in the workforce). Used for many hospitality, agriculture, and entry-level roles.

Other specialized streams exist (Global Talent Stream for tech, primary agriculture stream, caregiver streams) with different rules and processing times.

How an LMIA work permit actually works

1. The employer offers you the job and decides to pursue foreign hiring.
2. The employer advertises the role to Canadians for the required period (usually four weeks across at least three channels).
3. The employer applies for the LMIA with ESDC, pays the fee, and shows the recruitment record.
4. ESDC issues a positive LMIA if they're satisfied no Canadian was available.
5. You apply for a work permit using the LMIA. The work permit is employer-specific and position-specific.
6. You start work once the permit is issued.

Total timeline from employer decision to you starting work: commonly four to seven months. Faster under Global Talent Stream (as low as two to four weeks for eligible tech roles).

What "LMIA-exempt" means

Many foreign workers enter Canada without an LMIA because they're under an LMIA-exempt stream. The big ones:

• CUSMA Professionals — US and Mexican citizens in qualifying professions, LMIA-exempt under CUSMA (formerly NAFTA)
• Francophone Mobility — French-speaking workers destined outside Quebec
• Intra-Company Transferees — employees of multinational companies being moved to a Canadian office
• International Experience Canada (IEC) Working Holiday — citizens of countries with IEC agreements
• Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) — international graduates of Canadian post-secondary programs
• Spousal Open Work Permit — spouses of certain work or study permit holders

LMIA-exempt does not mean "easier" universally — each stream has its own eligibility rules — but it removes the employer's LMIA step, which is usually the longest friction point.

What LMIA is not

• Not permanent residence. An LMIA leads to a work permit. It does not give you PR. Some LMIAs (LMIA-supported PR applications, or LMIAs used for Express Entry points) can contribute to a PR application, but the LMIA itself is a work-authorization tool.
• Not a guarantee. ESDC regularly denies LMIAs if recruitment was insufficient, the wage is too low, or the employer has compliance issues.
• Not portable. An LMIA-based work permit is employer-specific. If you leave the job, you generally lose the permit (with limited transition options).

Why LMIA matters for your job search

If you are searching for a Canadian job from outside the country and do not have LMIA-exempt status, you need to find an employer willing to go through the LMIA process. Most small and mid-sized Canadian employers will not. Large employers and specific sectors (technology under GTS, healthcare, agriculture, certain trades) routinely hire through LMIA.

Knowing whether you need an LMIA — and signalling clearly on your application that you understand the employer's LMIA obligations — changes how you approach the search.

What Job Scout does for LMIA-supported candidates

We target employers with LMIA history, tailor resumes to the roles they actually hire through the program, and flag LMIA-related considerations on every application package. We do not file LMIAs, write employer LMIA applications, or provide immigration advice. For LMIA filing, we refer to immigration lawyers or Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC).

Related pathways

• CUSMA Professional list — the LMIA-exempt option for US and Mexican workers
• Francophone Mobility — LMIA-exempt for French speakers outside Quebec
• Express Entry — the federal PR system; a valid LMIA can add 50 or 200 CRS points