Employer recruitment
Roles must generally be advertised across Canada for several weeks using multiple recruitment methods before an application is filed.
LMIA & Work Permits
A Canadian job offer, properly backed.
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is how an employer proves that hiring you will not displace a Canadian worker. Get it right and it opens a work permit, and often a route to permanent residence.
The short version
Most Canadian employers who want to hire a foreign worker must first obtain a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment from Employment and Social Development Canada. The assessment exists to confirm that no suitable Canadian or permanent resident was available for the role.
The paperwork sits with the employer, but the outcome decides your future. We work with both sides, so the advertising, the wage level, and the documentation all hold up.
What matters
The parts that decide your outcome.
High-wage stream
Positions at or above the provincial median wage. Employers show how they will reduce reliance on temporary foreign workers over time.
Low-wage stream
Positions below the median wage, subject to caps on the share of the workforce and to regional unemployment limits.
LMIA-exempt routes
Intra-company transfers, international agreements, and other mobility categories that skip the LMIA entirely. Often overlooked, sometimes faster.
Process
How we get you there.
- 1
Eligibility check
Check your occupation code, experience, education and language level before choosing an employer-led route.
- 2
Profile competency report
Record the programs you may fit, supporting documents and gaps to address in a written report.
- 3
Authorized representative
Confirm who will handle regulated advice and filing. Check their licence and agree the scope of work.
- 4
Employer search
Target genuine vacancies with employers able to hire internationally. An employer decides whether to offer a job.
- 5
Interview with the employer
Prepare for the interview and review any conditional offer with your representative.
- 6
LMIA
The employer completes the required recruitment and applies to ESDC, unless an exemption applies.
- 7
Work permit
Use the job offer and positive LMIA, where required, to apply to IRCC. Approval is a separate decision.
- 8
Visa and biometrics
Complete the travel-document and biometric requirements that apply to your file. Some tasks overlap with the permit application.
- 9
Pre-departure
Confirm travel documents, insurance, accommodation and your start date with the employer before departure.
Common questions
The employer is responsible for the LMIA application and its government processing fee, and the fee cannot be recovered from the worker.
It varies with the stream and the volume at the time of filing. Certain categories qualify for expedited processing. We confirm current timelines before you commit.
No. Several categories are LMIA-exempt, including many intra-company transfers and workers covered by international agreements. Checking exemptions first often saves months.
Find out which route fits you.
Tell us about your situation. We aim to reply within two business days and explain what to check next.
- Office
- Burnaby, BC & Montréal, QC