LMIA Process Guide

What an LMIA is

An LMIA is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), through Service Canada, that assesses the impact of hiring a foreign worker on Canada's labour market. A positive LMIA shows there is a genuine need for a foreign worker and that no Canadian citizen or permanent resident is available for the job. The LMIA is the core of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).

Who needs one and who applies

The employer applies, not the worker: the Canadian employer submits the LMIA application, pays the fee, and must meet all program conditions — you cannot apply for your own LMIA. Not every job needs one: many permits are LMIA-exempt under the International Mobility Program. Once the employer receives a positive LMIA, you use the LMIA number and job offer to apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit.

The employer's process, step by step

1. Recruitment and advertising: for most streams the employer must advertise and conduct genuine recruitment (often a minimum of four weeks) to show no Canadian or permanent resident is available.
2. Application to ESDC: the employer submits the LMIA with business, wage, recruitment, and (where required) transition-plan documents.
3. Fee payment: CAD $1,000 per position requested — paid by the employer and never charged to the worker.
4. Assessment and decision: ESDC reviews wages, conditions, labour-market need, and recruitment, then issues a positive or negative LMIA.
5. Work permit: with a positive LMIA, the worker applies to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit.

LMIA streams

• High-wage stream — jobs paid at or above the provincial/territorial median wage + 20% (120% of median). ESDC updated the thresholds for LMIAs received as of July 17, 2026: AB $37.50, BC $38.40, MB $31.33, NB $31.73, NL $33.60, NT $48.00, NS $31.96, NU $45.00, ON $36.92, PE $31.20, QC $36.00, SK $34.62, YT $45.60 per hour. A Labour Market Benefits (transition) plan is required, and high-wage work permits can be issued for up to 3 years.
• Low-wage stream — jobs paid below the high-wage cutoff (provincial/territorial median wage + 20%). Key restrictions (as of 2026): (1) Workforce cap: foreign workers capped at 10% of a work location's total workforce (20% in construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, and residential care), plus a temporary 15% cap for eligible employers outside census metropolitan areas in participating provinces/territories (MB, NB, NL, NT, NS) from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. (2) CMA restriction: applications refused in census metropolitan areas where unemployment is 6% or higher — exemptions apply, including primary agriculture, construction, food manufacturing, hospitals, nursing and residential care, certain in-home caregivers, PR-only positions, and jobs of 120 days or less. (3) Duration cap: maximum 1-year employment contracts. Note: on July 17, 2026, ESDC raised the LMIA wage thresholds nationwide. Source: ESDC low-wage LMIA requirements, 2026.
• Global Talent Stream — a fast-track for high-skilled tech and specialized talent with a 10-business-day service standard and a Labour Market Benefits Plan.
• Agricultural streams — including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), with sector-specific rules.
• PR-support (dual intent) LMIA — issued to support a permanent residence application; no processing fee.

LMIA streams at a glance

LMIA and your CRS score (2026 update)

Important change: as of March 25, 2025, IRCC removed the additional CRS points Express Entry candidates used to get for a valid job offer (previously 50 or 200 points). This applies to both LMIA-based and LMIA-exempt offers and is still in effect in mid-2026. A job offer or LMIA no longer adds CRS points, but may still be required for eligibility in some streams, and can make you eligible for many Provincial Nominee Program streams (a nomination adds 600 CRS points). Note: IRCC consulted in 2026 on reintroducing job-offer points, but as of mid-2026 this is a proposal only, not law.

Fees and processing times

Fee: CAD $1,000 per position, paid by the employer (illegal to charge the worker); no fee for a PR-only LMIA or certain positions. Processing times vary widely by stream and have lengthened into 2026. ESDC's August 2026 figures: Global Talent Stream 10, SAWP 6, Agricultural 25, low-wage 82, high-wage 90, and PR-only 156 business days. Always check ESDC's current published processing times; the clock generally starts once your application is complete.

Worker due diligence and red flags

Paying for an LMIA or job offer is illegal — 'LMIA selling' is fraud, and neither the $1,000 fee nor recruitment costs may be charged to you. Be cautious of approval guarantees, large cash requests, or pressure to sign quickly. Confirm the employer is a real, operating business, check that the wage meets the prevailing wage for the role and region, and consider consulting a licensed RCIC or lawyer (verify licensing with the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants or a provincial law society).