Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. An LMIA is a document from Employment and Social Development Canada that gives the employer permission to hire a temporary worker. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program lets employers hire temporary workers to fill temporary labour and skill shortages.

The process assesses whether the “employment of the foreign national is likely to have a neutral or positive effect on the labour market in Canada” [IRPR203(1)(b)]. In addition, the process is intended to protect the Canadian labour market, and to ensure that temporary foreign workers are treated well.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job and that no Canadian worker is available to do the job. 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.

To learn more about how to submit a LMIA, the steps a company or employer needs to complete prior to submitting a work permit application, and how to apply for a work permit, please contact us to schedule a consultation.