Last verified: July 5, 2026 · Official source: canada.ca — Hire a temporary foreign worker
General information, not legal or immigration advice. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer.
What an LMIA is
A LMIALMIA: Labour Market Impact Assessment — a document an employer gets from ESDC showing that hiring a foreign worker won't negatively affect the Canadian labour market (i.e. no qualified Canadian or PR is available). is a document a Canadian employer obtains from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before hiring many temporary foreign workers. A positive LMIA says: hiring this foreign worker is justified because no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was available to do the job.
The worker then uses the positive LMIA to apply for an employer-specific (closed) work permit. See work permits explained for how closed vs. open permits differ.
Who applies and who pays
- The employer applies for the LMIA and must meet recruitment, advertising, and wage requirements.
- The employer pays the processing fee — reported as CAD $1,000 per position (non-refundable).
- It is illegal for an employer to charge the LMIA fee back to the worker; doing so can lead to a ban from the program.
TODO: verify the current LMIA fee and advertising/recruitment requirements on the official ESDC page before relying on them — these change and are not the worker's responsibility.
TFWP vs. IMP — the key distinction
Not every foreign worker needs an LMIA. Canada has two streams:
| Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) | International Mobility Program (IMP) | |
|---|---|---|
| LMIA needed? | Yes — an LMIA is required | No — LMIA-exempt |
| Based on | Proving no Canadian was available | Broader interests: trade deals (e.g. CUSMA), intra-company transfers, reciprocal/youth exchanges |
| Permit type | Employer-specific (closed) | Often employer-specific, sometimes open |
| Examples | Many skilled and lower-wage hires | CUSMA professionals, intra-company transferees, IEC participants |
If you can qualify under the IMP, you skip the LMIA entirely — which is usually faster and simpler for both you and the employer.
💡 In the 2026–2028 plan, Canada is shifting away from the TFWP and toward the IMP. If you have an LMIA-exempt route available (CUSMA, intra-company transfer, IEC, a PGWP), it's often the smoother path.
LMIA and permanent residence
A positive LMIA used to add points to your CRS score — but job-offer/arranged-employment CRS points were removed in 2025. An LMIA can still be essential for getting a work permit and building the Canadian experience that counts toward the Canadian Experience Class and some PNP streams — but don't expect it to boost your CRS directly anymore. See how to improve your CRS.
Common points of confusion
- "I need an LMIA to work in Canada." Not always — the PGWP, IEC, and many IMP categories are LMIA-exempt.
- "The LMIA is my work permit." No — it's a step your employer takes; you still apply for the permit.
- "I can pay for my own LMIA to speed things up." No — the employer applies and pays; charging you is illegal.
Where this fits
LMIA sits inside the broader Work in Canada picture — alongside open vs. employer-specific permits, the PGWP, and the Bridging Open Work Permit. Building toward PR? See the Study → PR pathway map.