A Labour Market Impact Assessment, or LMIA, is the document an employer needs before most foreign workers can apply for a work permit in Canada. This page covers both sides of the process, what the employer must do to get a positive LMIA, and what the worker does once it is approved.
A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada, confirming that hiring a foreign worker will not negatively affect the Canadian labour market. It confirms three things: no Canadian citizen or permanent resident was available to fill the role, the employer made genuine efforts to recruit locally, and the wages and conditions offered match what a Canadian worker would receive in the same position.
A positive LMIA is not a work permit itself. It is the document the worker then uses to apply for a closed work permit through IRCC, tied to that specific employer and role. A negative LMIA means the position must go to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident instead.
Two frameworks govern this. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program covers LMIA-based hiring, where a labour market test is required. The International Mobility Program covers LMIA-exempt hiring, where broader economic, social, or cultural goals replace the need for that test. Knowing which one applies to your situation is the first real decision point, and it changes every step that follows.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| LMIA processing fee | $1,000 CAD, paid by the employer |
| Work permit processing fee | $155 CAD, paid by the worker |
| Biometrics, if required | $85 CAD |
| Positive LMIA validity | Up to 6 months from date of issue |
| Current processing time | 82 to 90 business days for most streams |
| Fastest streams | Global Talent Stream, 10 business days |
These figures are confirmed against ESDC’s official published rates and processing updates. Confirm the current figures at canada.ca before applying, since both fees and timelines change
Province or Territory | Threshold, effective July 17, 2026 |
Alberta | $37.50 |
British Columbia | $38.40 |
Manitoba | $31.33 |
New Brunswick | $31.73 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.60 |
Northwest Territories | $48.00 |
Nova Scotia | $31.96 |
Nunavut | $45.00 |
Ontario | $36.92 |
Prince Edward Island | $31.20 |
Quebec | $36.00 |
Saskatchewan | $34.62 |
Yukon | $45.60 |
Two 2026 updates matter here. Low-wage LMIAs are not processed in census metropolitan areas with 6 percent unemployment or higher, though 8 regions, including Halifax, Winnipeg, and Regina, were reopened as of July 10, 2026. Separately, the rural cap for low-wage temporary foreign workers outside CMAs rose to 15 percent effective April 1, 2026.
Stream | Processing time |
High-wage | 90 business days |
Low-wage | 82 business days |
Global Talent Stream | 10 business days |
Agricultural | 25 business days |
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program | 6 business days |
Permanent Residence stream | 156 business days |
These figures are from ESDC’s most recent update and exclude the mandatory advertising period, which happens before submission.
Expedited 10-day processing applies if the position meets one of these:
Not sure which stream applies?
$155 CAD work permit processing fee, plus $85 CAD biometrics if required. This is separate from the employer’s $1,000 CAD LMIA fee.
Getting an LMIA work permit approved depends on two separate document sets. The employer prepares one set for the Labour Market Impact Assessment itself. The worker prepares a different set for the work permit application that follows. Here is exactly what each side needs.
Not every work permit requires an LMIA. These exemptions fall into three groups, work or company based, status or family based, and one distinction about whether a permit applies at all.
Intra-Company Transferees Executives, managers, and specialized knowledge workers transferring within a qualifying company.
CUSMA Professionals Citizens of the United States and Mexico in listed professional occupations under CUSMA, which replaced NAFTA.
Significant Benefit Foreign nationals whose work brings notable social or cultural benefit to Canada, supported by objective evidence of achievement.
Provincial Nomination Workers nominated by a province for permanent residence with a job offer in that province may be exempt. Check our Provincial Nominee Program for an in-depth eligibility checklist.
Francophone Mobility Workers recruited for positions outside Quebec who are qualified under NOC TEER 0 or 1 and destined for a Francophone minority community. Our Francophone Immigration page covers this in detail.
Spouses of Certain Foreign Workers Spouses of foreign workers in eligible occupations may qualify for their own open work permit. See our Spousal Open Work Permit page for current eligibility.
Some situations exempt you from a work permit entirely, not just an LMIA. A charitable worker in a compensated role still needs a work permit, just not an LMIA. A genuine volunteer needs neither. This decides whether any permit applies to you at all.
Not sure which stream applies?
A positive LMIA can add arranged employment points under Express Entry. If your LMIA-based work permit is expiring while your permanent residence application is still in process, a Bridging Open Work Permit may keep you working legally in the meantime.
An employer came to Brightlight after a first LMIA application was refused for an incomplete Transition Plan. The recruitment documentation was strong, job postings, interview records, and clear reasons for not hiring the Canadian candidates who applied, but the Transition Plan itself did not clearly show a path toward reducing reliance on foreign workers over time, which is exactly what ESDC expects to see for a high-wage position.
Brightlight rebuilt the Transition Plan alongside the existing recruitment evidence, keeping the strong parts of the original file intact rather than starting over, and resubmitted. The LMIA was approved, and the worker’s own permit followed without further delay once the positive decision was issued.
If your file was refused for a reason you don’t fully understand, that is exactly the kind of situation worth a second look before you assume the position is unfilled.
No immigration consultant can guarantee a positive LMIA or work permit approval. What Brightlight guarantees is an accurate assessment of your situation, whether you are the employer or the worker, and careful preparation so ESDC or IRCC has no reason to ask questions.
Whether you handle this yourself, work with an immigration lawyer, or hire a licensed consultant, this is the comparison that actually matters.
What matters
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A Labour Market Impact Assessment confirms hiring a foreign worker will not harm the Canadian labour market. Most employer-specific work permits require a positive LMIA first. Without one, the worker generally cannot get a closed work permit tied to that job. Some categories are LMIA-exempt, so confirm which framework applies before assuming you need one.
Processing time depends on the stream. As of ESDC's most recent update, high-wage applications average 90 business days and low-wage 82. The Global Talent Stream averages 10 business days. These figures exclude the mandatory advertising period. Check ESDC's official processing times page before planning a start date.
The employer pays a $1,000 CAD LMIA processing fee, non-refundable regardless of outcome. The worker separately pays a $155 CAD work permit processing fee, plus $85 CAD for biometrics if required. These are two distinct fees paid by two different parties, not one combined cost.
Yes, in specific situations. Intra-company transferees, CUSMA professionals, significant benefit cases, and workers nominated by a province may qualify for an LMIA-exempt work permit under the International Mobility Program. You can check IRCC's official work permit eligibility to confirm which category applies to your situation.
A refusal is not necessarily final. ESDC states the specific reason, commonly incomplete recruitment evidence, an inadequate Transition Plan, or wage documentation gaps. Reviewing the refusal reason against your original submission usually shows exactly what to correct before reapplying, rather than resubmitting the same file unchanged.
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