The LMIA, done right.
The Labour Market Impact Assessment is the document that authorizes a Canadian employer to hire a foreign worker under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. This is a quick employer side guide. For the full technical breakdown of LMIA streams, processing, and worker rights, visit our complete LMIA guide.The LMIA, in four steps.
A quick interactive map for Canadian employers. Start at step one and let the page guide you.What is an LMIA?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is the document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that authorizes a Canadian employer to hire a foreign worker under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Do you need one?
Not all employers need an LMIA. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program requires one. The International Mobility Program does not, hires under free-trade agreements, intra-company transfers, and open work permits (PGWP, spousal, IEC) are exempt.
- You’re hiring under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP)
- No free-trade agreement covers the position
- The worker has no LMIA-exempt status
- The position falls under high-wage, low-wage, primary agriculture, Global Talent Stream, or SAWP
- The worker is a citizen of the US or Mexico (CUSMA professional, trader, investor, or intra-company transferee)
- The worker is a citizen of an EU country (CETA professional or intra-company transferee)
- The worker is a citizen of a CPTPP country (Australia, Japan, UK, Singapore, Vietnam, and others)
- The worker is being transferred from a related foreign company (Intra-Company Transfer)
- The worker has a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)
- The worker is the spouse of a skilled worker or international student (SOWP)
- The worker has a Bridging Open Work Permit (BOWP) while their PR application is processed
- The worker is in International Experience Canada (Working Holiday, Young Professionals, Co-op)
- The hire qualifies under “Significant Benefit” (C10) or Francophone Mobility (C16)
Which type of LMIA?
ESDC administers five LMIA streams under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, each with its own rules, processing time, and documentation. Click any stream to see how it works.
For positions paying at or above the provincial or territorial median wage. The most common stream for professional, technical, and managerial roles. Requires a transition plan describing how the employer will reduce reliance on the TFWP over time.
~60 business days (about 12 weeks) of ESDC processing, plus 4 weeks of mandatory advertising before submission.
- Signed job offer with NOC code, wage, hours, location
- Recruitment proof: 4 weeks on Job Bank + 2 underrepresented groups
- Transition plan
- Business legitimacy: T2, T4, PD7A, business licence, lease
For positions paying below the provincial or territorial median wage. The most regulated stream, with workforce caps (10% standard, 15% rural, 20% sectoral) and additional employer obligations: housing, transportation, private health insurance. Blocked in Census Metropolitan Areas with unemployment at or above 6%.
~50 business days (about 10 weeks) of ESDC processing, plus 8 weeks of mandatory advertising as of April 1, 2026.
- Signed job offer with NOC code, wage, hours, location
- Recruitment proof: 8 weeks on Job Bank + youth + 2 underrepresented groups
- Housing and transportation arrangements
- Private health insurance plan
- Business legitimacy: T2, T4, PD7A, business licence, lease
The fastest LMIA stream, designed for innovative companies and tech occupations. Two categories: A (designated referral partners, $80,000+ wage) and B (occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List). Requires a Labour Market Benefits Plan instead of standard advertising.
~7 business days. ESDC service standard of 10 business days, met 80% of the time.
- Signed job offer with NOC code, wage, hours, location
- Labour Market Benefits Plan (LMBP)
- Designated referral partner endorsement (Category A) or GTOL match (Category B)
- Wage justification (prevailing wage or minimum threshold)
- Business legitimacy: T2, T4, PD7A, business licence, lease
Year-round primary agriculture: cultivation, harvest, livestock, nursery, greenhouse. Exempt from workforce caps and from the 6% unemployment rule. Advertising requirement reinstated on January 1, 2026.
~16 business days of ESDC processing, plus the new advertising requirement.
- Signed job offer with NOC code, wage, hours, location
- Recruitment proof (reinstated January 1, 2026)
- Housing inspection report
- Worker contract
- Business legitimacy: farm registration, T2, T4, PD7A
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program operates through bilateral government-to-government agreements with Mexico (PTAT) and participating Caribbean countries. Maximum employment of 8 months per year. Workers are recruited through their home country’s authorities.
~10 business days. Prioritized due to the time-sensitive nature of agricultural labour.
- Bilateral agreement reference (Mexico PTAT or Caribbean)
- Standard SAWP employment contract
- Housing inspection report
- Round-trip transportation arrangement
- Business legitimacy: farm registration, T2, T4, PD7A
What happens after approval?
A positive LMIA is the start, not the finish. The employer hands the LMIA to the worker, who has six months to apply to IRCC for a work permit. ESDC retains the right to inspect compliance for up to six years.
The worker uses the LMIA confirmation letter and signed job offer to apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit. Processing time varies by country and category.
The LMIA expires 6 months after issuance. If the worker doesn’t submit the work permit application in time, the LMIA voids and the employer restarts the entire process, including the $1,000 fee.
ESDC retains the right to inspect employer compliance for up to 6 years after the work permit takes effect. Employment records, wage records, and recruitment documentation must be kept throughout this window.
RCIC
Why hire an RCIC?
Under Canadian law, only Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs), lawyers, and Québec notaries are authorized to represent employers before ESDC and IRCC. Any other paid representation is unauthorized.
LMIA mistakes are expensive. A wrong stream classification, weak recruitment file, or missing transition plan triggers a negative decision, the $1,000 fee is forfeited, and the employer restarts from zero. Worse, post-approval errors can result in administrative penalties of up to $100,000 per violation, a permanent ban from the TFWP and IMP, and publication on IRCC’s public list of non-compliant employers, where it stays indefinitely.
Megrez Immigration Consultants has operated as a licensed RCIC firm in Vancouver since 1996. Every LMIA file at the firm is built, submitted, and managed under direct RCIC supervision.
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