What is LMIA Visa in Canada?

What is LMIA Visa in Canada?
Blogs 25 September 2024

What is LMIA Visa in Canada?

LMIA is a document that Canadian employers have to get before hiring a foreign national for a job. Employment and Social Development Canada(ESDC) oversees it and looks to assess the impact of employment of foreign workers on the labour market in Canada. LMIA secures job opportunities to be firstly available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents while considering labour shortages. LMIA visa in Canada Balancing the needs of the employers with protection of job opportunities and provisions apply to immigration programs such as the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and International Mobility Program.

Stream to apply for LMIA 

  • High Wage Positions
  • Low Wage Positions
  • Global Talent Stream
  • Agriculture positions
  • Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
  • Permanent resident stream

Processing Time

Processing times can be measured in many ways, one of which is the number of applications received by the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program.

The following table reflects the average processing time of LMIA Visa in Canada applications by stream. Take these times into consideration when planning your employment needs.

Average Processing Time 

StreamTime in business days
High Wage Stream51
Low Wage Steam53
Global Talent Stream07
Agricultural stream14
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program06
Permanent resident stream97

Starting your time for application processing

By online portal, application process will upon submission of a complete LMIA visa in Canada. Application is considered complete in the following ways:

  • Employer has signed all the documents.
  • Processing fee has been paid, if that is applicable.
  • Incomplete applications will not be processed and you will not get charged the processing fee.

When Your Application Processing Time Ends 

Once you have received a decision letter from Service Canada, your application processing time is over. You will receive either a positive or negative decision about the LMIA visa in Canada. If the LMIA is positive, then distribute a copy to the TFWs so that they can apply for a work permit.

Document Checklist for LMIA Visa in Canada

These are the below required documents checklist for LMIA Visa in Canada.

1. EMP5600 for high-wage jobs

In Canada, the form EMP5600 is used for authenticating medical disabilities, long term, and terminal illnesses, which are helpful for live-in caregivers. For high-wage temporary foreign workers, employers require a Labour Market Impact Assessment. The process helps Canadian labour from getting hurt by the Global Talent Stream, the high-wage stream, the agricultural stream, and jobs that support permanent residency.

2. EMP5606 for low-wage jobs

EMP5606 is one type of Labour Market Impact Assessment for Canada, low-wage jobs that ensure hiring foreign workers does not cause them adversity in the Canadian labour market. Hiring foreign workers requires employers to give evidence of why they could not fill labour gaps with a Canadian or for another valid reason, like a failure to abide by labour laws or reasonable recruitment efforts at hiring a Canadian. Reasons for doing this include filling labour gaps in the hospitality industry, agriculture, and retail.

3. Employment Opportunity Information

The employer should be able to describe the job clearly in terms of responsibilities, working conditions, compensation, and additional benefits or benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid leave, and bonuses. Clearly, all this information will add strength to the LMIA application..

4. Recruitment Activities

Recruitment Activity plays a major role because it includes Records of efforts to recruit through advertisements or posting of jobs on Account of Job Bank and Advertise the jobs on different platforms like local newspaper etc with adequate details i.e; dates and place, and mode of advertisement.

5. Wage Information

An application for an LMIA has to be submitted effectively by the employers demonstrating that the remuneration provided for a job exceeds or equals the local prevailing wage for that occupation. A wage analysis has to be done relative to the industry standard and the local labour market conditions for the recruitment of the right candidates.

Documents Checklist on Employer Behalf

  • Signed declaration attesting that a genuine labour shortage exists.
  • Past LMIAs (if any).
  • Proof of Labour Shortage (if any).
  • Backing for the need to hire a foreign worker because of a labour shortage in the domestic Canadian market (Supporting Documents).
  • Copies of licenses or certificates (if required by the profession). 
  • Identification Documents.
  • Identification of the Employer.
  • Passport copy (if required)
  • Additional information only if applicable. Information concerning the workplace that includes any special accommodations there
  • Information concerning previously submitted LMIA application(s) that include results.

Implications for Employers

This process can be both a blessing and a challenge for employers. This procedure lets businesses easy their skill shortages while expanding the talent pool they access. However, these requirements are pretty tight, so that the process is complex, lengthy, and resource consuming. Employers have to take seriously the needs of their workforce and its compliance with regulations to avoid penalties or delays.

Implications for Foreign Workers

The LMIA visa in Canada processing serves as a gateway through which the foreign workers access the various employment sources. Once the results of LMIA become positive for them, they can opt to apply for their work permits and thus spend some time working within Canada that would raise its economy. However, the foreign worker should be aware that their employment is conditional to the LMIA process, and all eligibility requirements in the process need to be fulfilled.

The importance of maintaining a balanced labour market in Canada lies in the LMIA process. In fact, such a framework helps safeguard local job opportunities while also letting business organisations address actual labour shortages in practice by requiring employers to prove their commitment to hiring Canadians before applying for foreign workers. 

The application process for LMIA is associated with very detailed documentation, which enhances transparency but also promotes fair recruitment practices from employers. During the steady and healthy development of the Canadian economy, changes in labour market conditions will call for a shift in LMIA to remain relevant and useful for supporting employers while also contributing to the well-being of the labour force. Conclusion The LMIA will continue offering invaluable potential to promote economic stability and growth throughout Canada by ranking the needs of the citizens first.

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