The assessment most employer-specific work permits depend on.
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a decision by Employment and Social Development Canada about whether hiring a foreign worker will have a negative effect on the Canadian labour market. It is the employer's application, not the worker's, and a positive assessment is what allows the worker to then apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit.
The core of it is recruitment. Employers are generally required to have advertised the role genuinely — in specified places, for a specified minimum period, at the prevailing wage for that occupation and region — and to account for what happened to Canadian and permanent resident applicants. This evidence is assessed, which means it cannot be assembled retrospectively to fit a hire already decided upon.
Before starting, it is worth establishing whether an LMIA is needed at all. The International Mobility Program exempts a range of situations, including certain intra-company transfers and categories arising from trade agreements. Confirming an exemption applies can remove months from a hiring timeline, and that check costs almost nothing compared with running a full process unnecessarily.
| Decided by | Employment and Social Development Canada, not IRCC |
|---|---|
| Whose application | The employer's |
| Central requirement | Genuine recruitment at the prevailing wage |
| Then what | The worker applies to IRCC for the work permit |
| Check first | Whether an International Mobility Program exemption applies |
What an application on this route usually involves. Not a checklist that guarantees anything — IRCC sets the requirements, and they change.
Whether it fits you is what a consultation is for. This page cannot answer that and does not try to.
Advertising in the wrong place, for too short a period, or at the wrong wage undermines the whole application and generally cannot be repaired retrospectively.
The assessment is about labour market impact. A record showing qualified domestic applicants set aside without reason is a serious problem.
Months spent on a process that was never required, because nobody checked the International Mobility Program first.
Compliance obligations and record-keeping continue long after the worker starts.
In most cases yes, and the requirements around where, for how long and at what wage are specific. The recruitment record is assessed as evidence, so it cannot be reconstructed after the fact.
No. The wage must meet the published prevailing rate for that occupation and region, and it is checked.
Yes — the International Mobility Program covers a number of exempt categories, including certain intra-company transfers and trade-agreement categories. Check for an exemption before starting an LMIA.
Well beyond the hire. Employers must keep records for years and remain subject to inspection, which is covered on the Employer Compliance page.
That is the one question this page cannot answer. Start with the free assessment, then bring your situation to a consultation with the RCIC-IRB.
Start Your AssessmentBook a paid consultationThis page is general information. It is not an assessment of your eligibility, and nothing on it is immigration advice for consideration. Labour Market Impact Assessment matters at ZIMMR are advised on directly by Irshad Osman, RCIC-IRB.
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