In the fourth quarter of 2022, Canada clocked 497,000 job vacancies that required a high school diploma or less. Meanwhile, there were only 366,000 available workers to fill these low-skilled jobs. Canada needs more workers to fill the remaining 26% of these low-skilled jobs. 

Similarly, Canadian employers may not be able to find suitable local talent in certain high-skilled jobs, especially when the unemployment rate is low in a particular skill set of that occupation.

Luckily, LMIA application program in Canada under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program aims to help employers fill these vacancies. So, what is the LMIA, and how can it help you hire the workers you need? We will answer these questions, so keep reading to learn more.

What Is the LMIA Application in Canada?

A positive or neutral Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application, an assessment by Employment and Social Development Canada is a document that Canadian employers need while hiring foreign workers.  They must provide a copy of LMIA to the foreign worker they are hiring before that worker applies for an employer-specific work permit.  It is useful to utilize this program for filling talent gaps in high-demand industries such as:

• Construction
• Medical Care
• IT
• Hospitality
• Manufacturing
• Transportation

How Do You Prove You Need an LMIA Worker?

You can prove you need an LMIA worker if you are an employer in an industry with more talent demand than supply for talent in any identified job. Some specific in-demand job roles in which there are not enough Canadians to fill jobs are:

• Welders
• Industrial Electricians
• Painters
• Decorators
• Heavy Duty Equipment Technicians
• Cooks

Part of proving a need for a foreign worker is that you have exhausted your Canadian resources after making all efforts to recruit in Canada. You must have attempted to hire a Canadian worker before you can go through the LMIA program.

Types of Work Permits

LMIA-based work permits require you to file an LMIA application before applying for work permit, while LMIA-exempt permits do not. 

LMIA-Based Permits

Employers need to get LMIA-based permits when they want to hire an applicant who has an open work permit. You also need to file an LMIA application if the worker has a work permit but not for your company.

The goal of the LMIA is to ensure your hiring of a foreign worker does not negatively impact the Canadian labour market. That means you must pay your workers according to federal and provincial wage regulations.

The LMIA application process differs depending on whether the job is a high or low-wage position. Takarra can help you navigate both processes and help Canadian employers to process the LMIA/Work Permit applications.

LMIA – Exempt Work Permits

Some individuals are exempt from needing an LMIA work permit. The most common way this happens is if the worker is part of an International Mobility Programme (IMP).

Workers moving to Canada to work for any employer get an Open Work Permit. The same is true of people on a Post-Graduate Work Permit, a Spousal Work Permit, or a Bridging Open Work Permit.

Need Help Applying under the LMIA-based Work Permit Program in Canada

The LMIA application allows employers to hire foreign workers to fill job vacancies. If you can prove there are no Canadian workers to fill the vacancy, you can apply for an LMIA work permit and hire a foreign worker to fill it instead.

Can’t find a local employee to fill your job vacancies? Takarra Immigration Consultants in Toronto help business owners like you to process the LMIA/Work Permit applications. We also process Home Caregiver applications.

Contact Takarra Canadian Immigration Consultancy to get started today.