If you want to work in Canada from India, one of the common routes is through an LMIA work visa. LMIA is the most important document that employers want to have while hiring foreign workers in Canada; it is the most important step for foreign nationals who would like to acquire a work visa in Canada. If understood well, then steps and requirements will guide you through this without much hassle and thus increase your chances of success.
Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a paper which Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) issues to a Canadian employer that intends to hire a foreign worker. An LMIA shall act as a proof that the vacancy position in Canada really needs to be occupied, and there is no available Canadian citizen or permanent resident for the position.
The approval also validates that your employment in Canada would not affect the job market in the locality. If you are submitting an application for LMIA work visa from India, then this marks the final stamping on your application if this is not available. This would directly get your application for a work visa into trash without this.
Before you submit a work visa application from India through the LMIA process, ensure that you meet the minimum eligibility requirements:
Job Offer: You are expected to have a valid job offer from a Canadian employer.
LMIA Approval: Your employer must receive a positive LMIA approval from ESDC.
Relevant Skills and Experience: You are supposed to prove you have the skills, qualifications, and experience required for the job.
Get a valid job offer from a Canadian employer. The offer should be provided on proper letterhead and clearly indicate the position applied for, expected salary, and all conditions of employment. Please keep in mind that the employer must be prepared to apply through the LMIA process, which takes time and money.
It would be during this stage when you are in possession of a confirmed job offer that your employer should apply for a LMIA from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Your employer would have to prove that he would make all reasonable efforts to hire someone from either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident for the particular job, but one was not available. The whole process takes at least a few weeks or even months. So, best to get this process going early.
While your employer is undergoing the LMIA process, get ready with all the documents you will need once your LMIA work visa arrives in India. These may include:
Once your employer receives a positive LMIA then you are able to apply for the work visa. You will be required to apply online on the immigration website of the Government of Canada. Ensure that you provide all your documents; one of them is a positive LMIA and the job offer letter coupled with proof that you have these qualifications.
You will also be required to pay the application fee at this stage, and you would possibly have to give biometric information as well. You could even have to appear for an interview before the Canadian immigration authorities.
After sending in your application, you have to wait for a response from the Canadian immigration authorities. Actually, processing times vary. For this reason, with regards to this aspect, you are advised to constantly check on the status of your application online. When a decision is positive, you will receive a letter of introduction that you will be required to present upon arrival to the Canadian border.
One major barrier in the application of an LMIA work visa from India is to find a Canadian employer who has the willingness to go through the LMIA process. Application processes for employers are usually pretty complicated, and some become hesitant unless they are under huge motivation for hiring foreign workers.
In order to overcome this hurdle, one should work on those sectors wherein Canada is facing a problem of labor shortages, like healthcare and IT and agricultural sectors. Networking with professionals in Canada as well as using job search platforms that hire foreign workers will increase chances of success.
This LMIA processing time may take weeks to months. At times, if it is the job under reference and/or the industry, some delays can be manifested because of not submitting necessary documents by your employer or due to backlogs at the ESDC.
To avoid this, make sure your employer is informed about the process of LMIA and thus you submit all your necessary documents before time. You can also check processing times on the official Canadian immigration website periodically to have an idea as to how long your application might take.
Candidates will require proper documentation for qualifications and authenticating the same in order to apply for an LMIA work visa from India. These will comprise mainly of fulfilling eligibility criteria of the visa that includes language proficiency and qualifications.
If you are not sure about any of the requirements for your qualifications or visa, seek the services of an immigration consultant or attorney who is familiar with the Canadian work visa. Errors can be made that would make your application delayed or even guarantee its refusal.
A work visa application for an LMIA from India would thus be long and complicated, but with proper planning and preparations, completely achievable it all boils down to getting an offer and ensuring that your employer is ready to sponsor through the LMIA process, then submitting the most complete and accurate visa application.
Implement what has been provided in this guide, and the chances of getting a LMIA work visa and going about your career well in Canada will definitely improve. Keep following up with your application and remain patient as processing will take a little time. Be on your way for the New Opportunities in the great country of Canada once approved.