How Does the LMIA Application Process Work?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is the approval Canadian employers need from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) before most foreign workers can get a work permit. It shows ESDC that hiring a foreign worker will not hurt Canadian workers.
The process has six steps. Most of the risk sits in the first two: picking the right stream and running a recruitment campaign that holds up to review.
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Government fee: $1,000 per position
Non-refundable, even if the LMIA is refused. Most primary agriculture positions are exempt.
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Advertising: 0 to 8 weeks before you apply
4 weeks for high-wage jobs, 8 weeks for low-wage jobs (since April 1, 2026), none for the Global Talent Stream.
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Processing: about 9 days to 3 months
Depends on the stream. This is on top of your advertising period.
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Validity: 6 months
Your worker must apply for a work permit before the positive LMIA expires.
Key takeaway
In our practice, most LMIA refusals trace back to work done before submission: an advertising campaign that was too short or poorly documented, a wage below the prevailing rate, or business records that do not match. Plan the recruitment step carefully and the rest of the file is far easier to defend.
Step 1: Which LMIA Stream Fits Your Position?
Your stream depends on the wage you offer. At or above the provincial or territorial threshold (the median hourly wage plus 20%), you apply as high-wage. Below it, you apply as low-wage. The Global Talent Stream and the agricultural stream have their own rules.
Each stream changes your advertising period, documents and processing time, so choose before you post a single ad. Our LMIA Canada guide compares every stream side by side.
Check the refusal-to-process list before you advertise
ESDC updates its list of regions where it refuses to process low-wage LMIAs every quarter. A region can be added while your ads are running. Check the current list on Canada.ca before you start, and again before you submit.
Not sure which stream applies? Our guides to high-wage LMIAs, low-wage LMIAs and the Global Talent Stream explain each one in detail.
Step 2: How Long Must You Advertise Before Applying?
For most streams, you must show ESDC that you tried to hire a Canadian citizen or permanent resident first. The short version: advertise on Job Bank plus at least two other methods, within the 3 months before you apply. High-wage ads must run for at least 4 consecutive weeks. Since April 1, 2026, low-wage ads must run for at least 8. The Global Talent Stream needs no advertising.
The detailed rules, including Job Match, under-represented groups and the records to keep, are in our LMIA recruitment and advertising guide.
ESDC has detailed rules on where, how and how long to advertise. Our LMIA recruitment and advertising guide walks through them. In the video below, our lawyers discuss the recruitment process. It was recorded before the April 2026 low-wage changes, so use the 8-week rule above.
Step 3: What Documents Does an LMIA Application Need?
If this is your first LMIA, or ESDC has not assessed your business recently, you must prove that your business is real and can pay the wage. The documents below are the ones ESDC prefers to see.
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CRA T2 Schedule 100 and 125
Your balance sheet and income statement from your latest corporate tax return.
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Most recent CRA PD7A
Your statement of payroll deductions, showing you have active employees.
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T4 Summary of Remuneration Paid
Total wages paid to employees for the last tax year.
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Proof of recruitment
Required for high-wage, low-wage and agricultural applications. Include copies of every ad and a summary of results.
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Transition plan or Labour Market Benefits Plan
A transition plan for high-wage jobs; a Labour Market Benefits Plan for the Global Talent Stream.
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Designated partner referral
Required for Global Talent Stream Category A only.
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Provincial employer registration
Needed where your province requires it, for example British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Step 4: How Do You Register for the LMIA Online Portal?
You need a Job Bank for Employers account. Job Bank checks your business against your Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) records before it approves the account. Once approved, the same login gives you access to the LMIA Online portal.
You also need Job Bank to post your ads in Step 2, so set up the account before you start recruiting. If a lawyer will represent you, add them to your account at this stage.
Tip
Use your legal business name exactly as it appears in CRA records. Account mismatches are a common cause of delays, and they often surface only after weeks of waiting.
Step 5: How Do You Complete and Submit the LMIA Application?
In the portal, start a new LMIA application. The online form moves through questions about your business, the job, the wage and your recruitment. Answer every question accurately. Your answers must match your documents and your job ads.
Save a copy of the completed form for your records, then upload the documents from Step 3 along with any other evidence that supports your request.
Useful supporting documents include:
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Copies of every job ad and a recruitment summary
Mandatory for high-wage and low-wage applications.
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An explanation letter for any mismatch
For example, if you rebranded and your operating name no longer matches your CRA business name.
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Evidence of why the role needs this worker
Such as news or publications about a specialized product the worker was hired to support.
When everything is uploaded, go to the attestation page, sign the application electronically and submit it.
Step 6: What Happens After You Submit Your LMIA?
The portal will ask you to pay the processing fee of $1,000 per position. Once it is paid, your file joins the queue for an ESDC officer.
For the Global Talent Stream, the officer will set up a call to finalize your Labour Market Benefits Plan. For other streams, the officer usually emails questions or schedules a call. Answer quickly and consistently with your application.
Approximate LMIA processing times
| Stream | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Global Talent Stream | About 9 days |
| Agricultural stream | About 22 days |
| Low-wage stream | About 71 days |
| High-wage stream | About 79 days |
| Permanent residence stream | About 99 days |
ESDC data for June 2026, published July 2026, in calendar days. Times exclude your advertising period and change every month.
If ESDC approves, you receive a positive LMIA and a confirmation letter. Your worker then has 6 months to apply for a work permit with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
What Application Mistakes Lead to LMIA Refusals?
These are the problems we see most often in files that come to us after a refusal. Each one can be avoided with planning.
Advertising that falls short
Why it hurts
A gap in your ads, too few methods, or a low-wage campaign run under the old 4-week rule can sink the file.
What works instead
Map your campaign dates against the 3-month window before you post, and keep dated proof of every ad.
Wage below the prevailing rate
Why it hurts
ESDC expects at least the median wage for the job and region, or what you pay current staff in the same role, whichever is higher.
What works instead
Check Job Bank wage data for your region before you write the ad, and use the same wage everywhere.
Records that do not match
Why it hurts
Different business names, addresses or job duties across your ads, CRA records and form raise doubts about the offer.
What works instead
Align every document before you submit and explain any difference in a short letter.
Applying in a restricted region
Why it hurts
Low-wage files from regions on the refusal-to-process list are returned without review, after you have paid for weeks of ads.
What works instead
Check the quarterly list before you start, and consider whether a high-wage offer is realistic.
What Are Your Obligations After a Positive LMIA?
A positive LMIA is the start of your obligations, not the end. ESDC and IRCC can inspect employers for up to six years after a work permit is issued.
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Pay the wage and provide the job in the LMIA
Same duties, hours, wage and work location, unless you get approval for a change.
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Follow through on your commitments
Including the activities in your transition plan or Labour Market Benefits Plan.
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Keep records for six years
Payroll, time sheets, contracts and proof of your plan activities.
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Keep a workplace free of abuse
And never charge the worker for recruitment fees or the LMIA fee.
Employers found non-compliant can face fines of up to $100,000 per violation and bans from hiring foreign workers. Our guide to the Labour Market Benefits Plan and transition plan explains what ESDC expects.
LMIA Application Process: Frequently Asked Questions
A positive LMIA is valid for 6 months. Your worker must apply for a work permit within that time, or you will need a new LMIA.
Only in some cases. Since January 21, 2025, the worker must be in a TEER 0 or 1 job (or certain TEER 2 or 3 jobs) and have at least 16 months left on their work permit. Dependent children no longer qualify for open work permits on this basis.
If your ad stays active, all advertising rules continue to apply, including Job Match and Direct Apply. ESDC can review your recruitment activity until it makes a decision.
There is no appeal. You can fix the problems and apply again, which usually means a new advertising period and a new fee. In some cases, you can ask the Federal Court for judicial review within 30 days of the decision. A lawyer can tell you which option makes sense.
Final Thoughts: Is Your Business Ready to Apply for an LMIA?
The LMIA process rewards preparation. Pick the right stream, run a recruitment campaign that meets the current rules, and make sure every document tells the same story. The rules have changed often since 2024, so check each requirement again before you start.
Related guides: LMIA Canada approval guide · LMIA recruitment and advertising · High-wage LMIA · Low-wage LMIA · Global Talent Stream
