Workers with a job offer
A genuine full-time offer from a Canadian employer, and no exemption applies.
Most common
New rule
Hold a work permit? Since 4 September 2026 you can take a course of six months or less without a study permit.
What it means →
Employer-specific · LMIA
LMIA Work Permit — a job offer is only half the application.
An LMIA-based work permit has two sides: the employer must prove no Canadian was available, and you must prove you can do the job. Both have to succeed. We prepare them as one file, not two.
RCIC-led
Brampton & London
Reviewed September 2026
$36.92Ontario high-wage line, per hour
$1,000LMIA fee per position, paid by the employer
6 monthsMost LMIAs stay valid for applying
90 daysHigh-wage LMIA, average business days
Check for an exemption before starting an LMIA.
LMIAs are slow and expensive. If the role qualifies under CUSMA, an intra-company transfer, Francophone Mobility or another exemption, you can skip the process entirely. We always test this first — run the exemption check.
How it works
Two applications. One file.
The employer applies to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for the LMIA. Once it is positive, the worker applies to IRCC for the work permit. A weak point on either side sinks both.
The employer
Applies to ESDC
- Sets the wage at the prevailing wage or higher.
- Recruits in Canada first — four or eight weeks of advertising, depending on the stream.
- Files the LMIA with business documents and the $1,000 fee.
- Stays compliant for the whole permit — wages, duties and conditions as promised.
The worker
Applies to IRCC
- Uses the positive LMIA before it expires — usually within six months.
- Proves they can do the job — education, experience and any licence the role needs.
- Files the work permit ($155) and gives biometrics ($85).
- Works only for that employer, in that job and location, until the permit changes.
Wage stream check
High-wage or low-wage? The wage decides the rules.
ESDC compares the hourly wage offered with the province’s threshold — the median hourly wage plus 20%. Enter the offer to see which stream applies.
$/ hour
Use the wage in the job offer. It must also be at least the prevailing wage for the occupation and area on Job Bank, or what the employer already pays Canadians in the same job, whichever is higher.
Thresholds apply to LMIA applications received on or after July 17, 2026.
Your stream
Enter a wage to check
The Ontario threshold is $36.92 an hour.
Threshold
Low-wageHigh-wage
A guide only. ESDC confirms the stream when it assesses the application.
Thresholds for every province and territory
Ontario$36.92
Alberta$37.50
British Columbia$38.40
Manitoba$31.33
New Brunswick$31.73
Newfoundland and Labrador$33.60
Nova Scotia$31.96
Prince Edward Island$31.20
Quebec$36.00
Saskatchewan$34.62
Northwest Territories$48.00
Nunavut$45.00
Yukon$45.60
The requirements
What changes between the two streams.
Rule
High-wage
Low-wage
Recruitment
At least 4 consecutive weeks in the 3 months before applying: Job Bank plus 2 other methods, one of them national.
At least 8 consecutive weeks in the 3 months before applying: Job Bank, outreach to youth (15–30) and 2 methods aimed at under-represented groups. Job Match candidates must be invited.
Permit length
Up to 3 years
Up to 1 year
Employer commitment
A transition plan to reduce reliance on temporary workers
A cap on low-wage temporary workers (usually 10%, 20% in some sectors), plus return transportation, help finding affordable housing and health coverage until provincial coverage starts
Where it can be filed
Anywhere
Not processed in metropolitan areas with unemployment of 6% or more, with some sector exceptions. Toronto (including Brampton) and London are on the current list; it is next updated October 9, 2026.
Average processing
90 business days
82 business days
A genuine job offer
A real position with a detailed description, the correct NOC and TEER, hours, wage and location.
A legitimate business
Registration, financial statements, payroll and T4 summaries showing the employer can pay and needs the role.
A qualified worker
Education, licensing and experience that genuinely match the job being offered.
Costs & timing
What it costs, and how long it takes.
Government fees
Canadian dollars, per person or position
LMIA processing feePer position, paid by the employer and never recovered from the worker$1,000
Work permitPaid by the worker, including extensions$155
BiometricsPer person; $170 for a family of two or more$85
ESDC processing times
Average business days once the application is complete, August 2026
Global Talent Stream10
High-wage90
Low-wage82
Agricultural25
Permanent residence only156
IRCC’s work permit processing comes after this and varies by country.
Who this is for
When an LMIA route makes sense.
Employer-specific permits tie you to one employer, one role and often one location. In exchange, they open doors that open permits do not.
Employers hiring abroad
Businesses that cannot fill a role locally and need to recruit internationally, lawfully.
Workers aiming for PR
Job offers no longer add Express Entry points, but the Canadian experience you build counts, and many provincial streams still need a job offer.
Renewals with the same employer
Extending an employer-specific permit as the current one approaches expiry.
Caregivers & home care
In-home caregiver roles follow their own stream, with fee exemptions for some families.
Agriculture & seasonal work
Primary agriculture and seasonal streams have their own rules, caps and timelines.
How we help
How we run an LMIA file.
Test for an exemption
We check every exemption before recommending an LMIA. It often saves months and thousands of dollars.
Prepare the employer side
Wage benchmarking, a recruitment plan that meets the stream’s rules, business documents and the application.
Prepare the worker side
A permit application aligned exactly to the offer, with credentials and licensing addressed.
Plan the path to PR
We structure the role and duration so the experience counts toward Express Entry or a provincial program.
2026 updates
Two changes worth knowing.
Short courses without a study permit — and the co-op catch
A temporary public policy lets any valid work permit holder take a programme of six months or less without a study permit, for six months or until the permit expires, whichever comes first. It runs to 31 December 2027, and no CAQ is needed in Quebec.
The catch for LMIA permits: your permit names one employer, occupation and location. A co-op placement with a different employer or in a different occupation needs a second employer-specific permit before it starts. Study full time and that work will not count toward Canadian Experience Class eligibility or Canadian work experience points. Read the full breakdown →
Extending while the new LMIA is still pending
If your permit expires in less than two weeks and your employer’s new LMIA has not been decided, you can apply to extend without it. IRCC then gives you 90 days from receiving the application to provide the LMIA; without it, the application can be refused as incomplete.
You still have to apply before your current permit expires — that is what keeps you in status — and an LMIA that has already expired cannot be used.
Exemption checker
Could this job be LMIA-exempt?
Before an employer starts a Labour Market Impact Assessment, check the International Mobility Program exemptions that most often apply.
Rules as published by IRCC: International Mobility Program: LMIA exemption codes (IRCC).
Eligibility review
Hiring, or being hired?
Tell us about the role and a licensed RCIC will confirm whether an LMIA is needed, and what each side must prepare.
- Whether an exemption removes the LMIA entirely.
- Which wage stream applies, and what the employer must do, in order.
- Whether the job location can be processed as low-wage.
- How to turn the permit into permanent residence.
Thanks — we’ll be in touch
A licensed RCIC will review your details and reach out, usually the same business day.
Message us on WhatsApp
Good to know
Questions, answered.
The questions we hear most on this topic. The full list is in the Help Centre.
I hold an employer-specific LMIA permit. Can I do a short course with a co-op?
You can study a programme of six months or less without a study permit while your work permit is valid, under the temporary public policy in force since 4 September 2026. The co-op placement is the catch, and it bites employer-specific permit holders hardest. Your permit ties you to one employer, occupation and location, so if the placement is with a different employer or in a different occupation you must apply for a second employer-specific work permit before it starts, and you would then hold two valid permits at once. Open work permit holders do not need to apply for anything. An LMIA is issued to a named employer for a named position and does not transfer to the placement.
What is an LMIA-based work permit?
Once an employer holds a positive labour market impact assessment, the worker still has to apply for an LMIA-based work permit tied to that employer, job and location. That permit application is a separate step with its own requirements, and a positive assessment does not guarantee the permit will be issued.
What makes an LMIA application strong?
A clean, documented recruitment record, a wage that aligns with the prevailing wage for the role and region, job duties that match the occupation code, and clear evidence the business is genuine and able to pay. Weakness in any one of those is where files fail.
Can we hire faster than a standard LMIA allows?
Sometimes. The Global Skills Strategy offers two-week processing for eligible high-skilled roles, and several LMIA-exempt categories avoid the process altogether. Which applies depends on the role, not the urgency.
Do we need an LMIA for every foreign worker?
No. Open permit holders can work for you without one, and many LMIA-exempt categories exist. Checking before you start an LMIA can save months and several thousand dollars.
More questions on this topic are answered in the Help Centre.
Work permit review
Is your LMIA-backed permit built to be approved?
Send a few details. A licensed RCIC reads your profile personally, then replies with the routes that genuinely fit, the ones that do not, and the consultation fee and next available times.
- Read personally by a CICC-licensed consultant — never a bot, never a salesperson
- A written shortlist of the programs you realistically qualify for
- Consultations are fee-based; you get the fee and available times by reply
CHK Immigration Services — Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (CICC). Offices in Brampton and London, Ontario. Submitting this form does not create a client–consultant relationship; IRCC makes all final decisions.