Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), previously known as a Labour Market Opinion, is a legal document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada that will enable a skilled worker to work in Canada if the person meets the requirements.

When a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is completed, it will be determined that there are no eligible Canadians or permanent residents seeking the job that the skilled person wants to fill. This will enable the skilled worker to apply for a work visa.

LMIA Requirements

Learn about the basic employer criteria for LMIA that are the same for all streams in this article. Always make reference to stream limitations and other stream-related circumstances.

Employers who are ineligible

It will show on this list if a company is ineligible to apply for LMIA and has not done so. Employing a foreign worker is a significant obligation on the part of the employer. As a result, the ESDC inspects LMIA-approved employers on a random basis. Those who did not adhere to the conditions of an authorized employment offer are likely to be on the above-mentioned list of non-compliant employees.

A person’s ineligibility is not necessarily a permanent state of affairs. As a result, it is worthwhile to inquire about the length of time the business has been prohibited from employing temporary employees. In reality, it might last anywhere from a year to a lifetime.

The business will never appear on the list of ineligible employers if it has never submitted a request for a labour market impact assessment in the first place.

Employers in Canada that have an LMIA (Approved)

Positive LMIA Employers List is published annually by the United States Department of Employment and Social Development (DESD). There are no personal names or LMIA in favor of permanent residency included in this list. It does, however, keep track of all positive LMIAs’ positions and locations.

Which types of employers are eligible to apply for LMIA?

A stream will be used to evaluate whether or not an employer is eligible for LMIA in all other situations. Only if an employer applies for LMIA in order to support permanent residency is it necessary for the company to have been in operation for at least one year prior to application. Employer criteria for LMIA compliance are as follows for all other kinds of businesses:

Has a genuine company to run.
Provides products or services to members of the general public.
The company has the ability to pay a wage to a foreign employee.
Does not have a legitimate need for a foreign worker.
In the 12-month period before application, no workers were laid off by the company.

By reviewing supporting documentation, Service Canada may determine whether or not certain LMIA criteria for employers have been fulfilled. Download our Employer Checklist of Documents for more information.

Additionally, there are LMIA limitations in place for some professions and places in Canada. This implies that companies in certain industries and jurisdictions will be unable to submit applications.

LMIA Processing time

Processing timeframes for LMIA applications may be variable, ranging from a few weeks to several months in certain cases. Certain LMIA applications will be processed within 10 business days, according to a promise made by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Once an LMIA request has been submitted, the human resources department usually takes approximately two months to handle it completely. As a result, between advertising and the LMIA procedure, the whole process takes about three months. Once the LMIA has been granted, the foreign worker will be able to submit an application for a work permit.

LMIA Jobs

Top 10 LMIA job opportunities in Canada

1. Truck driver’s

Average wage: $45,825-$77,903
Canada’s key industries, such as agriculture, oil and gas, minerals and metals, and forestry, are all heavily dependent on Canada’s transportation system, and with the industry growing at an incredible rate, it’s no surprise that truck drivers are one of Canada’s most in-demand LMIA jobs today and will be ahead for some time.

2. Agricultural supervisor

Average wage: $35,939-$49,286
As stated previously, the agricultural industry is one of the biggest income sources in Canada and needs not just competent farmworkers, but also farm supervisors. Canada’s farming industry is booming, especially in the animal, grain, horticultural, and aquaculture sectors.

3. Caregiver

Average wage: $31,955-$58,000
As Canada’s population ages and birth rates decrease gradually, more and more caregivers open up to foreign nationals.

4. Software developers

Average wage: $75,596-$102,000
Tech employment will always be in demand in Canada since the nation is globally known as a pioneer in technical innovation. Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and of course software development dominate the IT labor market, which is why your job is important in Canada.

5. Building managers

Average wage: $92,240-$142,000
Construction jobs are abundant in Canada, particularly in provinces such as Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, all provinces not only listed as in-demand construction managers under their Provincial Nomination Programs (PNPs) but also some of the largest development programs planned in the years ahead.

6. Oil and gas drills

Average wage: $67,394-$103,594
Canada has a wealth of natural resources, generating more than 1.7 million employment for Canadians, permanent residents, and talented international workers alike. Canada has the world’s fourth-largest oil reserves, exporting energy resources to 148 nations worldwide.

7. Registered infants

Average wage: $80,126-$94,322
Lately, the medical industry has been put under tremendous strain, yet Canada has always needed skilled and competent healthcare workers. Nurses and general practitioners are at the top of the list, but registered nurses are not just highly in-demand, but highly sought-after in Canada.

8. Website designers

Average wage: $80,126-$94,322
Web designers are not only in demand, but the requirement is also projected to rise as more and more online platforms are likely to grow over the next years. Canada has recognized the demand for skilled IT workers, creating different methods to get jobs in Canada.

9. Electrician

Average wage: $66,300-$84,088
Besides managers, the building industry will require different workers, including electricians. Six Canadian provinces, including Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon, need electricians.

10. Civilian engineer

Average wage: $66,843-$102,000
Civil engineering is another much-needed profession in Canada. Not only might you be able to make a highly appealing income with even greater job perks, but you’ll also be able to enjoy the same quality of life Canadians do as a permanent resident of Canada, such as free health care and education for your children.

LMIA Low wage

Posts with low pay Cap

Unless an exemption exists, a company is subject to a restriction on the number of foreign nationals working in low-wage occupations at a specific workplace. In the case of an employer that hired a foreign national in a low-wage job before June 20, 2014, the employer is subject to a 20 percent limitation or their projected (lower) restriction on the number of foreign nationals they may hire in low-wage employment after that date. The 10 percent restriction applies to businesses that did not employ a foreign worker in a low-wage position before June 20, 2014. This is the first time the ban has been applied.

Requirements for advertising and recruiting

Unless an exemption applies, when a company or prospective employer files an LMIA application, they must demonstrate that they have fulfilled specific advertising requirements, otherwise, the application would be denied.

In order to meet the minimum advertising requirements, an employer or prospective employer must advertise the position in the following ways:

With a focus on underrepresented groups, the National Job Bank or its provincial/territorial counterpart in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, as well as two or more additional methods that are normal occupational practice and target minority, people

Aside from local, regional, and national media, additional advertising methods include local, religious, and community resource centers as well as local, regional, and provincial/territorial employment centers.

LMIA Work Permit

Once you have obtained an LMIA number or an offer of employment number, you should provide that information to the employee who has accepted the job offer. They will need to utilize this information in order to submit an application for a work permit. If you are exempt from the employer compliance procedure, you must provide the employee a copy of his or her employment agreement. They may utilize it to submit an application.

How Canada Decisions Application

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) decides whether or not to award a positive LMIA and then to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

IRCC notifies the employer of the final LMIA decision. ESDC takes into account many variables, including:

The effect of employing foreign workers on the Canadian labor market.
The salaries and working conditions are given to foreign workers.
Canadian nationals or permanent residents are available to perform the work.
Whether transferring valuable knowledge and abilities would come from employing foreign employees.
Whether employing foreign workers will assist Canadian citizens and permanent residents generate employment.