A Labour Market Impact Assessment or LMIA (previously called LMO) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get from employment and social development Canada before hiring a foreign worker.
A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.
If the employer needs an LMIA, they must apply for one.
Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.
To apply for a work permit, a worker needs:
- a job offer letter,
- a contract,
- a copy of the LMIA, and
- the LMIA number.
Under certain situations, you might be exempt from the requirement of LMIA. Contact us to know more about the process and to file an LMIA application for you, if you are an employer looking to hire temporary foreign workers. If you are a temporary foreign worker and have been offered a job by an employer based on a positive LMIA, we can help file your work permit application for you.