Canada Path Immigration Services
Hiring international workers / Canada Path guide

Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

When an employer may need an LMIA to hire a worker from abroad.

What to understand

An LMIA is an Employment and Social Development Canada assessment of a proposed hire. Many employer-specific work permits need one, while some work permit categories are LMIA-exempt.

What to prepare

Confirm whether an exemption applies before starting. For an LMIA case, review the applicable stream, wage, recruitment and document requirements on official employer instructions.

Important to know

An LMIA approval is not itself a work permit. The worker must meet separate immigration and admissibility requirements.

Check the official requirements

Program rules, eligibility, fees and processing times may change. This guide is general information, not legal advice or a guarantee of any outcome. Check the current government instructions before applying.

Visit the official Canada.ca information
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