LMIA

CANADA

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What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment?

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

An LMIA is a form of Labour Market verification designed to protect Canada’s domestic job marketplace, as well as protect foreign workers employed in Canada temporarily. Only under select circumstances can LMIA-exempt work permits be obtained.

LMIAs are specific to employers, the position being offered, and the region in which the job is located.

The LMIA process distinguishes between “high-wage” and “low-wage” employees. Temporary foreign workers whose remuneration is below the provincial/territorial median wage are considered low-wage. Temporary foreign workers whose remuneration is equal to or above the median wage are considered high-wage.

LMIA Processing Times

LMIA processing times can be somewhat unpredictable, ranging from a couple of weeks, to a few months. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has pledged to process certain LMIA applications within 10 business days. The following categories will now be processed with a 10-business-day service standard:

All LMIA applications for the highest-demand occupations (skilled trades)
Highest-paid (top 10%) occupations or
Short-duration work periods (120 days or less)

LMIA-exempt job offers – skilled immigrants (Express Entry)

In most cases, your employer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support your job offer for Express Entry. Some jobs do not need an LMIA.

Your employer doesn’t need an LMIA to support your job offer if:

you have been working full-time for the employer on your work permit for at least 1 year(or an equal amount of part-time work)
you have a valid job offer.
you have a valid work permit that is exempt from an LMIA under:
- - an international agreement
  - a federal-provincial agreement
  - the “Canadian interests” category

Note: For skilled trade jobs, up to 2 employers can make a job offer. You must work for both those employers.

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Skilled work experience

Skilled trades for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC):

- Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades
- Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades
- Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production
- Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators
- Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks
- Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers

Education

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if you want to improve your rank in the Express Entry pool, there are 2 ways you can do this.

If you went to school in Canada, you can get points for a certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution

or

If you have foreign education, you can get points for a completed educational credential, if you have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA)report for immigration purposes from a designated organization showing that your education is equal to a completed certificate, diploma or degree from a Canadian:
- secondary institution (high school) or
- post-secondary institution

Get assessed by the province or territory

You’ll likely have to go to the province or territory to be assessed for your trade. You may also need an employer in Canada to give you experience and training.

To learn more about getting assessed, you should go to the website of the body that governs trades for the province/territory where you would like to live and work. The process is different, depending on where you want to go.

Each website has more details about certificates of qualification to work in that province or territory in a specific skilled trade, and what you have to do to get one.

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