In most cases, a Work Permit application is incomplete without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The Immigration Department requires that Service Canada (SC) provide an opinion on a job offer before it can consider a Work permit application.

SC considers the following factors while processing a LMIA application:

• The job offer is genuine;
• The wages and working conditions are comparable to those offered to Canadians working in the occupation;
• Employers conducted reasonable efforts to hire or train Canadians for the job;
• The foreign worker is filling a labour shortage;
• The employment of the foreign worker will directly create new job opportunities or help retain jobs for Canadians;
• The foreign worker will transfer new skills and knowledge to Canadians; and
• The hiring of the foreign worker will not affect a labour disputes or the employment of any Canadian worker involved in such a dispute.

Efforts to hire Canadians include national and local level advertising in newspapers. Efforts made on recognized INTERNET job banks, job-specific and professional publications are also considered reasonable.

SC expects that the wages offered are at least, if not more than those paid to Canadians in the same occupation based on labour market information. If you are offering wages below rates paid to Canadians in the occupation, SC will not confirm your job offer. On the same note, the working conditions are expected to be consistent with federal and/or provincial standards for the occupation and workplace.

Depending upon the province, this process may be completed anywhere between 6-12 weeks.