Generally, most employers will need to apply for and obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before a Canadian employer can hire a temporary foreign worker.

Required Steps Of Obtaining LMIA

Collecting the Required Documents to Prove that Your Business is Open and Operating.

 You may need to provide the following:

  • Business license;
  • Business registration or legal incorporation documents;
  • Canada Revenue Agency documents;
  • Commercial lease agreement;
  • Workplace safety and insurance clearance letter/certificate;
  • Other forms depending on the nature of the employer.

Advertising

   The employer has to demonstrate that reasonable efforts were made to recruit a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for this particular job, but have failed.

   Generally, all advertisements should be posted and available to the general public for a minimum of four consecutive weeks before you can apply for an LMIA.

Employers have to advertise on:

  • Job Bank or if the job is in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, or Quebec, the respective provincial employment websites. 
  • Two or more additional methods of recruitment and advertisement consistent with the usual practices of the occupation.

Submitting the LMIA application

   After all, the documents have been gathered, and recruitment/advertisement requirements have been met, the LMIA application may be submitted.

LMIA processing fee

   Generally, employers will also have to pay a processing fee of $1,000 for each position they wish to have filled by a temporary foreign worker.

   Employers who hire agricultural workers are exempted from the $1000 processing fee.

Processing time

   There is no fixed processing time for an LMIA application. LMIA applications are processed across Canada, depending on the stream and work location, ranging from a couple of weeks to a few months.