What is the processing time of LMIA?

Tejaswini Panigrahi
[Published 08 Jan, 2022 | 05:48 PM]
About Author - 5 min read
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Canada is a fantastic place to work, study, and live, and it attracts tens of thousands of immigrants each year for the same reasons. But it also provides endless opportunities for the foreign candidates who want to live and work in Canada for a short period or temporarily.

Canada has a comparatively lower population density than the number of opportunities available in the country, or at least the minimum skilled workers required to fulfill the essential job vacancies. Hence, the government turns around to hire foreign, skilled workers from all over the world and offers them work & apply for Canada PR in return for meeting their labor market needs. The Canadian employers choose the qualified candidates from the pool of different programs to nominate the deserving candidates. Still, the Canadian employers also need to have a report to hire foreign employees, and the report is called LMIA or Labour Market Impact Assessment.

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What Is a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)?

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) conducts an LMIA examination of employment offers, recruiting programs, and impacts of overseas employees in Canada. It primarily attempts to improve the quality of life and employment opportunities for all Canadians while strengthening the country's economy.

Following an assessment, the ESDC issues two types of reports:

Positive LMIA: It indicates that an employer could not fill a specific job in Canada with a qualified Canadian or permanent resident.

Negative LMIA: It indicates enough Canadian or permanent resident candidates to fill the open job vacancy.

In other words, Canadian employers have to undergo the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) before hiring foreign workers to prove that local workers couldn’t fulfill the positions that they are hiring for. They have to prove their honest attempt to employ local skills before hiring foreign candidates. They can prove it either by showing genuine advertisements for the positions, etc.

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What is the procedure to apply for an LMIA?

The brief procedure of applying for the LMIA is written below:

• The prospective employer requests an LMIA at least six months prior to the starting date of the contract.
• The application process may differ depending on the candidate's income and the median wage in the province or territory where they will be working.
• Low-wage jobs will necessitate more processes than high-wage jobs.

How long does it take to process an LMIA?

Depending on the circumstances, the processing period for LMIA might range from 15 days to several months. First and foremost, the more accurate and complete an application is, the more likely it is to be processed quickly.

Currently, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) guarantees ten days of processing for three categories:

• Occupations in high demand
• Work length of 120 days or less
• High-paying jobs that aren't in the top ten percent

The ESDC authorizes the LMIA application after the employer files it. A confirmation letter or a valid LMIA indicates that a business can engage foreign workers to complete a job because it has been proven that no Canadians are available. After receiving this certification, the applicant can apply for a work permit in Canada.

What is an LMIA-Exemption?

It is a case where a Canadian employer doesn’t need an LMIA to hire foreign candidates. There are many LMIA-Exempt jobs in Canada you can work in.

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What is the International Mobility Program?

The International Mobility Program (IMP) allows Canadian firms to hire overseas candidates without an LMIA through various schemes. It was created to assist foreign employees in finding their way to Canada to improve its economic and cultural development.

Employers must meet the following eligibility criteria to participate in this program:

• Must demonstrate that the job or worker meets the requirements for LMIA exemption
• Should pay the compliance fee; and
• Submit an official job offer via the IMP Employer Portal.

What is an Open Work Permit?

Canada has introduced specific work programs that don’t require LMIA to hire foreign candidates for the job positions. The work programs are:

• Post Graduation Work Permit Program;
• International Experience Canada (IEC);
• Inland Spousal Or Common-law Sponsorship Program; and
• Bridging Open Work Permit.

Are you planning to work in your dream job in Canada or grab the Canada PR in 2024? Then, you are at the right place at the perfect time. Get in touch with Nationwide Visas or fill this form below to find your Canadian Work Permit and Canadian PR Visa eligibility.