What Is an LMIA in Canada?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a decision from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) that lets a Canadian employer hire a foreign worker for a specific job. ESDC checks that hiring the worker won’t hurt Canada’s job market: no Canadian or permanent resident is available, and the wage and working conditions are fair.
A positive LMIA is not a work permit. Once you have it, the worker uses it to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for an employer-specific work permit.
Key takeaway
An LMIA proves you tried to hire locally first. Most refusals come from weak recruitment, a wage below the prevailing rate, or a business that can’t show it needs and can afford the worker. Get those right before you apply.
Do You Need an LMIA to Hire a Foreign Worker?
Not always. Many work permits need an LMIA, but many don’t. Check for an exemption first, because an LMIA-exempt route is often faster and cheaper. For the full picture, see our guide on how to hire foreign workers in Canada.
Common LMIA-exempt and fast-track routes: Intra-Company Transfer, CUSMA work permits, the C11 work permit for business owners, and the Global Talent Stream.
Standard job offers
Who it fits
Most employers hiring a foreign worker for a specific job, when no exemption applies.
What to do
Confirm the NOC code and wage, then plan your recruitment before you file.
Company transfers and trade treaties
Who it fits
Executives, managers and specialists moving within a company, and professionals covered by CUSMA.
What to do
Check whether the role qualifies under the ICT or CUSMA rules before you start recruiting.
Owners running their own business
Who it fits
Entrepreneurs who own at least 51% of a Canadian business and manage it actively.
What to do
Apply for a C11 work permit instead. No LMIA or Canadian recruitment is needed.
In-demand tech roles
Who it fits
Employers hiring for listed tech occupations or referred by a designated partner.
What to do
The Global Talent Stream is still an LMIA, but with a 10-business-day service standard.
LMIA Frequently Asked Questions
No. An LMIA is ESDC’s decision about the job. The worker still has to apply to IRCC for an employer-specific work permit, using the LMIA number and the job offer.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), through Service Canada. IRCC, a separate department, decides the work permit.
It means ESDC agrees that hiring a foreign worker for that job is unlikely to hurt Canadian workers. It is tied to one employer, one job and one location.
No. Only the Canadian employer can apply. A worker can’t buy an LMIA, and employers can’t charge workers for it. Treat any offer to sell an LMIA as a red flag.
Final Thoughts: Where Should You Go Next?
This page answers the basic question. For the details, start with our LMIA Canada guide, which covers the streams, the 2026 rule changes, costs, processing times and why applications get refused. When you are ready to file, follow the LMIA application process guide, and plan your ads with the recruitment and advertising guide.
