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Labour Market Impact Assessment and Work Permits for Hiring Foreign Workers
The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), formerly known as Labour Market Opinion (LMO), is a report issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that outlines the impact of hiring a foreign worker on Canada’s labour market.
Employers need to obtain this approval to hire foreign workers. If the assessment is positive, a report outlining the conditions of the employer’s job is offered. It must include the employees’ names and the expiry date of the LMIA that will be listed in the document issued by ESDC.
Once a positive LMIA has been issued, it must be forwarded to the employees abroad to obtain a work permit that will allow them entry to the country with any other worker’s rights and obligations.
Work Permit Renewal
If the worker is already in Canada, a work permit renewal application must be submitted. Immigration Pros can assist workers abroad to file their applications for work permits and work permit extensions inside Canada.
Recent changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program have made it more difficult for employers to obtain a positive LMIA. We strongly recommend hiring an expert’s services. We have helped hundreds of candidates put together their applications thanks to a highly specialized team that only deals with this kind of procedure.
Please contact us, we will gladly provide you with a free assessment to review your particular case and advise you with the best options to obtain a positive LMIA.
ESDC receives thousands of applications per year and accepts or refuses them depending on different circumstances. They will check several things as:
Whether the number of foreign workers in your company is within the cap established by the government.
If the job offer and the company are genuine.
If the wages and working conditions are in line with those offered to Canadians (National Occupational Classification -NOC- wages).
If the employer conducted reasonable efforts to hire or train Canadians for the job.
If the foreign worker is filling a labour shortage or, hiring a foreign worker will directly create new job opportunities or help retain Canadians’ jobs or transfer new skills and knowledge to Canadians.
If the hiring will not affect a labour dispute or the employment of any Canadian worker involved in such a conflict.
There are also situations where pre-approvals are requested. It allows the employer clarity to recruit foreign workers with the security that, once suitable foreign workers have been recruited, a positive Labour Market Impact Assessments will be issued.
Pilot Projects and Provincial Programs
Finally, there are some pilot projects and special programs that are in effect for most provinces. These vary in conditions and requirements according to the specific needs of each province.
Many programs or pilot projects have been launched to facilitate the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments throughout the country, such as:
Feel free to contact us, we will gladly provide you with a free assessment of your particular case and tell you the possible routes through which you can obtain a positive LMIA.
Contact us for a free evaluation of your case.
LMIA Based Work Permit
You can apply for work permit if you have received a job offer from a Canadian employer based on a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) issued by Service Canada.
Click here to find out more about the labour market impact assessment
To be eligible to apply, you must obtain the positive LMIA decision letter from your employer and submit it along with your application. You must also demonstrate that you meet the required experience and/or education to fill the position. You can support this by submitting letters of previous employment in the same or similar role stated on the LMIA.
It is important to note, that the LMIA decision letter is valid for six months only. This means that you must apply for your work permit within six months of the issuance of the LMIA decision letter.
Your spouse or common-law partner may also be eligible to submit a work permit application along with your application for work permit. Furthermore, you may also apply for a study permit if your children will be accompanying you and attending school in Canada.
It is important to know that you work permit, when issued, will be an employer specific work permit. This means that you may only work for the employer stated on your work permit and the occupation and location stated on your work permit
If you do not require a visa to enter Canada, you may be eligible to apply for your work permit at the port of entry (POE). Please ensure that you have all the necessary documents to present to the officer at the POE.
Please contact us for more information.
