Labour Market Impact Assessment Online Portal resources
On this page
- What is the LMIA Online Portal
- What you need to do before you apply using the LMIA Online Portal
- What you can do in the LMIA Online Portal
- Uploading documents to your LMIA Online application
- Videos to help you use the LMIA Online Portal
- What you need to do if you cannot use the LMIA Online Portal
- Contact us
Transition to online applications
As part of its efforts to modernize the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and improve client service, Service Canada has transitioned to online Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications.
Since April 2023, employers and third-party representatives are required to submit LMIA applications using the LMIA Online Portal. To support the transition all application forms have been removed from the TFWP website.
What is the LMIA Online Portal
The LMIA Online Portal is a reliable and secure electronic tool. It allows Canadian employers and third-party representatives (on behalf of employers) to submit an LMIA application to Service Canada.
What you need to do before you apply using the LMIA Online Portal
- Canadian employers need to have a payroll account number associated with a business number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- To sign in to the LMIA Online Portal, you must first create your own user account on Job Bank. Before you can submit an application for an LMIA through the Portal, you also have to register the business on Job Bank. Visit Job Bank’s page for employers to learn more
Important information for third-party representatives
If you’re a third-party representative and you want to apply for an LMIA on behalf of the employer, both you and the employer (such as the owner or an employer contact) must have a personal Job Bank account. You must also both be added to the “Users” section of the employer file for the business. The person who manages the employer file can easily add new users to the file on their own without Job Bank support.
- Review the program’s eligibility requirements for the stream you’re applying for:
- Gather documents that support your business legitimacy and your LMIA application. For example:
- lease agreement
- tax documents
- recruitment documents (for example: ads)
- For positions located in Quebec for an employment period of more than 30 consecutive days, visit Hiring in the province of Quebec
- Log in to the LMIA Online Portal to apply now
What you can do in the LMIA Online Portal
Once you have a Job Bank account created, you'll be able to do the following in the LMIA Online Portal:
- submit an LMIA application 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- complete or return to an LMIA application before submitting it to Service Canada
- upload supporting documents
- securely pay LMIA fees, if applicable
- get real-time updates on the status of your application
- view correspondence and decision letters issued by Service Canada
- review previously submitted applications
- access and follow the status of your application when a third-party representative is submitting an LMIA application on your behalf
- create a new LMIA application by copying the information from a previous application
- access TFWP system experts for assistance with technical problems
Uploading documents to support your LMIA Online application
The size limit of each document is 6.0 MB. If you need to upload a larger document, divide your file into multiple documents smaller than 6.0 MB each.
- Documents must be in PDF, RTF, TXT or JPG format
- There is no limit on the number of documents that you can upload in the LMIA Online Portal
Leave out confidential information
Don’t upload any documents containing confidential information, such as:
- social insurance number (SIN)
- banking information
- passport number
Videos to help you use the LMIA Online Portal
The following videos guide you on how to use the LMIA Online Portal and what's in it for you!
What you need to do if you can’t use the LMIA Online Portal
Since April 2023, all LMIA application forms have been removed from the TFWP website. This change has been made to support the program’s transition to the use of LMIA Online Portal.
Exemptions
Employers must meet certain requirements to be able to use the LMIA Online Portal. If you fall within 1 of the exemption categories listed below, you may get an exemption from submitting your application online.
Exemption A
You can’t obtain a Job Bank account for 1 or both of the following reasons:
- You don't have a SIN
- You don't have a payroll account number associated with a business number issued by the CRA
Exemption B
You're experiencing limitations (for example, limited Internet or computer access).
Exemption C
There is a system outage and the LMIA Online Portal is unavailable to clients. In this case, a notice will be posted on the LMIA Online Portal with the process to follow to submit an LMIA application during this period.
How to request an exemption
If you, as an employer, are unable to apply using the LMIA Online Portal because you meet 1 of the exemptions listed above, you can request an exemption to obtain a PDF LMIA application form by emailing edsc.demande.formulaire.ptet-tfwp.form.request.esdc@servicecanada.gc.ca.
Include the following information in your exemption request:
- company name
- business number
- reasons for needing an exemption and the exemption category that may apply to you
- streams you would like to apply to
Service Canada will review your request and will determine if you meet the exemption criteria. You’ll get a reply by email within 5 business days.
Proof of exemption required
Proof of a valid exemption will be required for each LMIA application form submitted to the TFWP. If it isn’t provided, your application will be considered incomplete, and you’ll have to submit a new application.
Requests from third-party representatives
If you’re a third-party representative, you can request an exemption on behalf of your clients if they meet the exemption criteria identified above. Since exemptions are employer-specific, if more than 1 of the employers you represent require an exemption, you’ll need to send a request for each employer.
What you need to do if you're granted an exemption
If you're granted an exemption, Service Canada will provide you with LMIA application forms for all TFWP streams. Then, you’ll need to submit your completed form via email to the appropriate processing centre based on the stream and the work location you’re applying for. Since the application forms may get updated, you're responsible for making sure you submit your LMIA application using the most recent version. The version number can be found in the lower left corner of the application form pages.
Always check the following table to make sure your form is current:
| Application type | Version number |
|---|---|
| Agricultural stream | 2023-09-005 |
| Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program | 2023-08-004 |
| Global Talent Stream | 2023-06-007 |
| High-wage stream | 2023-08-007 |
| Low-wage stream | 2023-10-014 |
| In-home caregiver | 2023-06-007 |
| Permanent resident stream | 2023-07-006 |
Be sure to use the latest form
If you don't submit your LMIA application using the most recent form, your application will be considered incomplete, and you’ll have to submit a new application.
If you need a new application form, contact the Form Request mailbox at edsc.demande.formulaire.ptet-tfwp.form.request.esdc@servicecanada.gc.ca
Contact us
LMIA Online Portal support
Information on the TFWP and your LMIA application
Job Bank
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