Hire a temporary foreign worker in a low-wage position
Wage threshold increase and change in attestations
Starting November 8, 2024, the wage threshold used to determine the high-wage or low-wage stream will be increased by 20%.
Further, starting October 28, 2024, employers will no longer be able to use attestations from lawyers and chartered professional accountants to prove their business legitimacy.
Further updates related to these changes will be made to our pages shortly.
New measures for low-wage positions
Starting September 26, 2024, certain LMIA applications submitted for low-wage positions will be affected by the following measures:
- certain LMIA applications for low-wage positions in census metropolitan areas with an unemployment rate of 6% or higher won't be processed
- in some sectors, the current 20% cap on the proportion of low-wage positions is being reduced to 10%
- in the construction and healthcare sectors, the cap on the proportion of low-wage positions is being reduced to 20%
- the maximum employment duration for low-wage positions is being reduced from 2 years to 1 year
Temporary refusal to process LMIA applications for low-wage positions in Montréal
From September 3, 2024, to March 3, 2025, certain LMIA applications submitted for low-wage positions in the economic region of Montréal won't be processed.
For more information, visit Hiring in the province of Quebec.
On this page
- Before you apply
- How to apply
- Make changes to your pending application
- After you apply
- Related links
- Contact us
The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is intended to be used when you're facing short-term skills and labour shortages, and allows you to hire TFWs for a maximum of 1 year when no Canadians and permanent residents are available. The employment duration must align with the employer's reasonable employment needs.
To hire a TFW, you may require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to determine if hiring a temporary foreign worker (TFW) will have a positive or negative impact on the Canadian labour market.
As an employer, you must comply with the program requirements. These requirements may vary depending on the position you're requesting. We take program integrity very seriously and we have mechanisms in place to verify employer compliance. Employers who fail to comply with these requirements will be subject to consequences.
To get an LMIA, you must submit an application form and all the necessary supporting documents. Your application will be assessed to validate the legitimacy of the business, the job offer and the impact hiring a TFW would have on the Canadian labour market.
Before you apply
Hiring TFWs in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia
If you're hiring TFWs in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Nova Scotia, you must apply for the employer registration certificate with the province first and include a copy of the certificate or proof of exemption with your LMIA application. Your application will be considered incomplete if submitted without the required documentation. Be sure to consider provincial processing times before you submit your LMIA application.
For more information on provincial laws on the employer registration requirement and possible exemptions in the province, visit the following websites:
- British Columbia:
- Manitoba:
- Saskatchewan:
- Nova Scotia:
Hiring TFWs in Quebec
For positions in Quebec for an employment period of more than 30 consecutive days:
- LMIA applications must be submitted at the same time to Service Canada and Quebec's Ministère de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration (MIFI) (French only)
- failure to do so will prevent your application from being processed and will result in its closure. No refund of the processing fee will be made
- all applications must be submitted to the MIFI in the format required by the provincial government
- the names of the TFWs must be included in the application (for exceptions, visit Applying for an unnamed LMIA)
For more information, consult Hiring in the province of Quebec.
Note:
On May 12, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a temporary public policy. The new policy allows some TFWs who are already in Canada to change jobs before a final decision is made on their work permit application.
Employers hiring these TFWs may receive priority processing of the LMIA applications. To do so, employers must notify Service Canada in writing that the TFW:
- is in Canada, and
- wishes to benefit from IRCC's COVID-19 temporary public policy
How to apply
Apply using LMIA Online. It’s a reliable and secure portal where you can complete and submit online LMIA applications to Service Canada.
Your LMIA application can be submitted up to 6 months before the expected job start date.
Before signing into LMIA Online
You need a Job Bank for employers account to use LMIA Online. For instructions, consult Before you get started.
Submitting your application using LMIA Online
- Sign into LMIA Online using the same log-in information you use to access your Job Bank for employers account
- Create, fill out and submit your LMIA application from the Employer Dashboard
- Upload any required documents
- Pay the processing fee (if applicable)
If you don’t have access to LMIA Online, head to LMIA Online resources for troubleshooting steps.
Apply nowMake changes to your pending application
If you need to make changes to your application once submitted, and before the LMIA decision is made, contact the appropriate Service Canada processing centre or the Employer Contact Centre to modify your application and avoid processing delays.
If you need to change the stream you had originally selected, withdraw your application and reapply under the new stream. Processing fees aren't refunded and cannot be transferred to your new application.
After you apply
Additional information is available to find out what happens after you apply for a LMIA for a low-wage or high-wage position.
Contact us
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