LMIA Work Permit
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) produces a document called a Labour
Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to evaluate the effects of hiring a foreign worker in
Canada.
An employer may engage a foreign national if the LMIA is positive and there is no
Canadian
citizen or permanent resident to fill the post. When the LMIA is negative, it means that
a
Canadian citizen or permanent resident should occupy the position.
An LMIA cannot be requested by a foreign national. LMIAs, on the other hand, are
applications
that must be made by a Canadian employer. All streams of Canada's Temporary Foreign
Worker
Programme (TFWP) require that a business get an LMIA in order to hire outside of Canada,
despite the fact that it is occasionally possible to hire a foreign worker who is exempt
from
needing an LMIA or who is exempt from needing a work permit. Additionally, in order to
receive points for a job offer in Canada, many of the immigration routes to permanent
residence in Canada need that potential immigrants demonstrate a favourable LMIA.
LMIA Application Requirements
LMIA applications are sent by mail to the proper Service Canada Processing Centre in hard copy form. Applications must provide proof that the following requirements have been satisfied:
Processing price: All LMIA applications come with a $1,000 Canadian processing fee, which is non-refundable even if the application is rejected. This fee may not apply to all applicants under the LMIAs for in-home care givers.Documents attesting to the employer's status as a lawful Canadian business are known as "business legitimacy documents."
Transition Plan: Employers are required to submit a plan outlining how they will handle the need to hire foreign nationals. Employers will eventually be expected to hire Canadians and PRs rather than TFWs.
Recruitment attempts: Prior to hiring a TFW, employers must provide proof that they made significant attempts to find candidates who were Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Wages: Applications must contain details about the TFW's pay. By separating high-wage positions from low-wage roles, this will guarantee that TFWs receive the same pay for their labour as their Canadian counterparts.
Workplace Safety: TFWs have the same rights to a safe and healthy workplace as Canadians in similar positions. Because of this, companies are required to show that TFWs will have insurance coverage that is at least as good as the health insurance provided by the province or territory where the company is based.
Provincial/Territorial median hourly wages
| Province/Territory | 2021 Wage ($/Hour) | 2022 Wage ($/Hour) | Wages prior to May 31, 2023 | Wages as of May 31, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 28.85 | 28.85 | - | - |
| British Columbia | 26.44 | 27.50 | - | - |
| Manitoba | 23.00 | 23.94 | - | - |
| New Brunswick | 21.79 | 23.00 | - | - |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 24.29 | 25.00 | - | - |
| Northwest Territories | 37.30 | 38.00 | - | - |
| Nova Scotia | 22.00 | 22.97 | - | - |
| Nunavut | 36.00 | 35.90 | - | - |
| Ontario | 26.06 | 27.00 | - | - |
| Prince Edward Island | 21.63 | 22.50 | - | - |
| Quebec | 25.00 | 26.00 | - | - |
| Saskatchewan | 25.96 | 26.22 | - | - |
| Yukon | 32.00 | 35.00 | - | - |
Contact Us Do you have questions about working in Canada or hiring a foreign worker? Contact us today to see how we can help!
