LMIA stands for Labour Market Impact Assessment and is an approval by the Canadian government. Employers who want to hire foreign workers for any particular job require this LMIA work permit. This is actually an Employer’s Application that confirms and provides evidence that employers failed to find Canadian PRs or Citizens to do a specific job and that is why they now need foreign workers to fill that job position.
As an employer, you may submit an LMIA application as early as 6-months prior to the starting date for the position. However, the LMIA application procedures may vary depending on the wage of the employee. Before you hire a foreign worker, you should consult the median hourly wages of their province or territory. For low-wage workers, you will need to meet additional criteria to get the LMIA work permit. Below are specialized streams for employers who are willing to get LMIAs for specific areas of employment:
You can submit your LMIA application to the appropriate Service Canada Processing Center in the format of a hard copy or by mail. Your applications must meet the following criteria:
Processing Fee:
The processing fee for all applications for LMIAs includes $1000 CAD. This processing fee will not be refunded even if you fail to obtain the work permit. However, certain applicants for in-home caregivers may be exempt from this fee.
Documents for Business Legitimacy:
You must show the proper documents that prove and support your employer’s status as a legitimate Canadian business.
Recruitment Efforts:
As an employer, you must submit proof that you made substantial efforts to hire Canadian citizens/permanent residents to fill the required job positions before you approach hiring a TFW( Temporary Foreign Worker).
Transition Plan:
As an employer, you must submit a plan discussing the need to hire foreign nationals.
Wages:
Your LMIA applications must include information on the TFWs wages. This helps to differentiate between high-wage job positions and low-wage positions. At the same time, it also ensures that TFWs are paid an equal amount for labour as Canadian employees.
Workplace Safety:
Whether you hire a TFW or Canadian worker, you are obliged to offer a high standard of workplace health and safety for all types of job positions. This is why employers must show evidence that TFWs will be covered by insurance equivalent to the province or territory’s health coverage.
The majority of employers need an LMIA before they hire a temporary foreign worker. However, if you want to confirm whether your foreign worker is exempt from needing an LMIA or work permit you need to do one of the following:
Or, contact the International Mobility Workers Unit in case you’re hiring a TFW who is outside Canada and from a country whose nationals are visa-exempt.
It’s important you take professional assistance to get your LMIA application approved on time. Aussie Experts Education & Migration has been helping family members, students, workers, employers and other individuals to get approval on various Canadian visas.
We have a team of skilled and licensed visa consultants who have years of experience and expertise in this field. Our company’s founder, CEO and director Mr. Praddeep Kumar Dewan has guided a plethora of international employers, workers and individuals to get their visas approved on time.
Click here to discover more about our services
. Or, schedule a consultation to discuss your LMIA requirements.
