Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

About the LMIA
The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document required by the Canadian government for certain employers who wish to hire temporary foreign workers. The purpose of the LMIA is to ensure that hiring a foreign worker will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labour market.

Objective
The purpose of the LMIA is to protect Canadian workers by ensuring that the hiring of foreign workers does not eliminate employment opportunities for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

It also ensures that the working conditions and wages offered to foreign workers comply with Canadian standards.

A positive LMIA is required before the foreign worker can apply for a work permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The work permit is generally linked to a specific employer, which means that the worker can only work for that employer for the duration of the permit.