What IS A Labour Market Assessment?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

If the employer needs an LMIA, they must apply for one.

Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.

To apply for a work permit, a worker needs

• a job offer letter
• a contract
• a copy of the LMIA, and
• the LMIA number

Who needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment?

Employers of some types of temporary workers need to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before the worker applies for a work permit. An LMIA is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada that gives the employer permission to hire a temporary worker.

Most employers need an LMIA before they can hire a temporary foreign worker. Before you start the hiring process, you must determine if you need an LMIA.

An LMIA confirms

• there is a need for a temporary foreign worker
• no Canadians or permanent residents are available to do the job

To see if you and the temporary foreign worker you want to hire are exempt from needing an LMIA or work permit, do one of the following:

• review the LMIA exemption codes and work permit exemptions
  • select the LMIA exemption or work permit code that seems most relevant to your hiring situation and read the detailed description
  • if an exemption code applies to you, you’ll need to include it in your offer of employment
  or

• contact the International Mobility Workers Unit if you’re hiring a temporary foreign worker who is both
  • currently outside Canada
  • from a country whose nationals are visa-exempt

How to get an LMIA?

You’ll need an LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

The LMIA application process depends on the type of program you’re hiring through.

Find out how to apply for an LMIA to hire

• high-wage workers
• low-wage workers
• workers through the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program
• workers through the Agricultural Stream

How to hire if you need an LMIA?

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) lets you hire temporary foreign workers to fill labour and skill shortages.

Once an LMIA has been issued, you should provide a copy of the confirmation letter to each temporary foreign worker and tell each of them to apply for a work permit.

You’ll need an LMIA from ESDC, Service Canada.

How to hire if you don’t need an LMIA?

The International Mobility Program lets you hire temporary foreign workers without an LMIA. Check the LMIA exemption code that matches your respective job posting.

If you hire a temporary foreign worker through the International Mobility Program, you need to

• pay an employer compliance fee
• submit an offer of employment form through the Employer Portal

This must be done before the temporary foreign worker you want to hire can apply for a work permit.

Francophone Mobility for temporary foreign workers outside of Quebec

Under the IMP, Francophone Mobility offers an exemption from the LMIA for the hiring of Francophone or bilingual temporary foreign workers outside Quebec.

Francophone Mobility offers many benefits to employers, such as the ability to offer services in both French and English, while developing minority language communities across the country.

Find more information on how to hire Francophone or bilingual workers outside Quebec.

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