LMIA stands for Labour Market Impact Assessment. It is a document a Canadian employer may need before hiring a foreign worker. A positive LMIA shows there is a real need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available.

Who needs it and who does not

Employers who hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program usually need an LMIA. Service Canada, part of Employment and Social Development Canada, runs this program and issues positive or negative LMIAs. After an employer gets a positive LMIA, the worker uses it to apply for a work permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Some jobs are LMIA exempt under the International Mobility Program. In those cases, the employer typically files an offer of employment through IRCC’s online portal and pays an employer compliance fee, then the worker applies for a work permit using the offer number.

What it costs

Most LMIA applications require a processing fee of 1,000 Canadian dollars per position requested. Some categories have special rules, but the standard fee is 1,000 dollars. Employers cannot recover this fee from the worker.

The main LMIA streams

LMIA applications are grouped by stream. The stream depends on the job and wage level.

High wage and low wage positions. Whether an LMIA is high wage or low wage depends on the provincial or territorial wage threshold for where the job is located. Program requirements differ by stream.

Other common pathways include primary agriculture, in home caregivers, and the Global Talent Stream for certain specialized roles. Each has specific rules and checklists.

How the process usually works

The employer decides whether the job requires an LMIA or is LMIA exempt.

If an LMIA is required, the employer applies to Service Canada and pays the processing fee. If it is LMIA exempt, the employer submits an offer through the IRCC portal and pays the employer compliance fee where required.

With a positive LMIA or an LMIA exempt offer number, the worker applies to IRCC for a work permit.

Practical notes

An LMIA is not a work permit. It supports a later work permit application.

Details change by stream and over time, so it is important to check the latest federal guidance for the specific job and location.

Be alert for fraud. Use only official government instructions and be aware of common signs of immigration scams.

Bottom line

LMIA means Labour Market Impact Assessment. It is the employer’s authorization step under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that shows the job needs a foreign worker. Some jobs are exempt under the International Mobility Program. The LMIA supports, but does not replace, the worker’s own work permit application.