Hire a skilled worker to support their permanent residency – Next steps

LMIA process

All LMIA applications go through a systematic assessment process to:

1. verify if the employer is:
   • eligible to participate in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). The list of ineligible employers appears on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website, and
   • using an authorized third-party representative, if applicable.
2. verify the consistency of the job offer with federal/provincial/territorial agreements
3. assess the genuineness of the job offer. The assessment is based on whether the:
   • employer is actively engaged in the business related to the job offer
   • job offered to the foreign worker is consistent with the employment needs of the employer
   • employer can fulfil the terms and conditions of the job offer
   • employer or the third-party representative is compliant with the relevant federal/provincial/territorial employment and recruitment legislation
4. assess the language requirement of the job offer, to ensure that English and French are the only languages identified as a job requirement, unless employers can demonstrate that another language is a bona fide requirement for the job
5. assess:
   • the impact of hiring a TFW on the labour market including:
     • wages and working conditions offered
     • occupation in which the TFW will be employed
     • employer's recruitment and advertisement efforts
     • benefits to the labour market
     • consultations, if any, with the appropriate union, and the
     • effect on the settlement of a labour dispute

As part of the assessment process, Service Canada will ensure that the employer has met all the program requirements.

In accordance with amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Service Canada has the authority to temporarily suspend LMIA processing when there is reason to suspect that an employer is not complying or has not complied with certain conditions that would put the health or safety of TFWs at serious risk.

Suspending the processing of an LMIA is not a decision that Service Canada takes lightly. The intent is to protect TFWs from entering a potentially harmful workplace while Service Canada investigates the allegations. The LMIA processing suspension will be lifted as soon as it is known that the serious risk to the TFWs’ health or safety was unfounded or has been resolved.

Once the assessment process is complete, the employer will be notified in writing of the final decision of their LMIA application.

Positive LMIA

The employer will receive a decision letter confirming the LMIA is positive. Until April 30, 2024, this positive LMIA is valid for up to 12 months after it’s issued. As of May 1, 2024, this positive LMIA will be valid for up to 6 months after it’s issued. For privacy reasons, the letter will not include the names of the foreign workers. However, the letter and Annex A provide specific details about the job offer, such as the wages, working conditions and occupations as well as a system file number. The names of the workers will appear in Annex B, which is intended for the employer's records only, and is not to be shared with the foreign worker as it is not required for the purposes of applying for a work permit or permanent resident visa.

The positive LMIA letter supports both the skilled worker’s application to IRCC for a:

• permanent resident visa under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class
• work permit, if the employers wishes the foreign worker to start working while waiting for the outcome of the application for the permanent resident visa.

Once the positive LMIA letter is received, it is the employer's responsibility to:

• send a copy of this letter and Annex A to the foreign worker
• ask the foreign national to apply to the appropriate Canadian visa office, for a permanent resident visa to immigrate to Canada, and/or for a work permit. The foreign national must submit the appropriate application along with a copy of the:
  • written job offer signed by both the employer and the worker, and
  • positive LMIA letter and Annex A

Permanent resident visa

Receiving a positive LMIA for an arranged employment offer does not allow a skilled foreign worker to automatically immigrate to Canada. For skilled foreign workers to become permanent residents, they must meet all the requirements under the Express Entry immigration process.

Changing a TFW name on a positive LMIA

Name changes are not performed for applications under the permanent resident or dual intent streams.

Modification to a positive LMIA

Employers must take immediate action when changes have been made or need to be made to a foreign worker’s terms and conditions of employment as described in the positive LMIA letter and any annexes. Service Canada recommends that employers consult the Modification to a positive LMIA web page to determine when a change requires contacting the Employer Contact Centre or submitting a new LMIA form. In accordance with the provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, Service Canada may conduct an inspection to verify the employer’s compliance with the conditions set out in the positive LMIA letter and annexes. This inspection could include a review of the employer’s file. As a result, if Service Canada does not have a copy of the changes, the employer will be held accountable for the information that is on file.

End of employment

If a TFW for whom you've received a positive LMIA cannot be located or does not show up for departure from Canada at the end of employment, you should:

• make reasonable efforts to reach the worker
• notify the Canada Border Services Agency and IRCC
• notify Service Canada by sending the following information to the processing centre that issued the positive LMIA:
  • LMIA number(s)
  • employer name/business number
  • name(s) of departed TFW(s)
  • departure date
  • physical work location
  • details on how TFW(s) left
  • any other relevant information

Work permit

IRCC will assess the foreign worker’s work permit application. If the assessment is positive, the foreign worker will receive a work permit to work for the employer and in the occupation named on the LMIA, under established working conditions, and for a particular duration in Canada.

Some countries may require that their citizens meet certain conditions if they want to work in Canada. Employers should:

• ask the foreign worker to verify if additional conditions apply
• contact the consulate of the foreign worker's country in Canada, or
• visit the consulate's website

Once the foreign worker arrives in Canada, the employer must:

• ensure that the worker is authorized to work and check the duration of the work permit
• verify that the foreign worker’s work permit indicates that it is for the employer, occupation and location named on the LMIA, and
• keep records of the number of regular and overtime hours the foreign worker has worked on a weekly/monthly basis

Employers must apply for a new LMIA when they anticipate that their need for foreign workers will continue beyond the period covered by the work permit. The new LMIA application should be sent at least 4 months prior to the expiry of the work permit to ensure Service Canada has sufficient time to process the application and for IRCC to process the work permit extension.

Revocation of a LMIA

The revocation of a LMIA means overturning the decision based on new information, which changes the opinion from positive to negative.

A LMIA may be revoked if it has not yet expired, work permits or permanent resident visas have not been issued by IRCC, and if one or more of the following circumstances apply:

• the employer has provided materially false or misleading information
• new facts or information are brought forward after a positive LMIA has been issued, that would have changed the assessment of the application, resulting in a negative LMIA
• the opinion was based on an unintentional error as to some material fact

The revocation of a LMIA is based on reliable and documented evidence that confirms that the new information or altered circumstances would have had an impact on the assessment of the factors listed under section 203 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Negative LMIA

Service Canada will issue a negative LMIA letter if the employer does not meet all program requirements.

Employer compliance

Service Canada takes the integrity of the TFWP very seriously. Employers hiring foreign workers are expected to be compliant with the TFWP by upholding the terms and conditions of employment as stated in the original job offer and set out in the positive LMIA letter and annex.

Employers must also follow all federal/provincial/territorial employment regulations and laws, as all workers in Canada have the same labour and human rights and social protections.

More information is available in the Employer compliance section.