LMIA_exempt work permits for employers

LMIA-exempt work permits for employers

Work permit options to bring foreign employees to Canada without needing to do the LMIA process.

You might be able to hire a temporary foreign worker without doing a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), or even bring people to work in Canada without a work permit if they fall under one of these exemptions.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has a work permit program called the International Mobility Program (IMP), which exists to promote the country’s social, economic, and cultural interests. These work permits are LMIA-exempt because the government has determined that the foreign worker’s work would be a “significant benefit” to Canada, or the exemption falls under a reciprocal agreement between Canada and the foreign worker’s nation.

If your hiring situation falls under one of IRCC’s LMIA exemption codes or a work permit exemption, you will not need to undergo the LMIA process. Before you hire a foreign workers under the IMP, you will need to pay an employer compliance fee and submit an offer of employment through IRCC’s Employer Portal.