WORK in canada
Work in Canada
Foreign Workers require a work permit in order to work in Canada. There are generally LMIA-based and LMIA-exempt work permits.
What Is LMIA?
01
Canadian employers should normally obtain an authorization from Employment and Social Development of Canada (ESDC) in order to hire a foreign worker by applying for a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). This process is required to demonstrate that the Employer did search for the right candidate in Canada among Canadian permanent residents and citizens before deciding to hire foreign workers to fill the vacant positions of the company. LMIA application process is professionally handled by our firm and the processing time is usually 3 months at the ESDC. Individuals who are otherwise eligible to make an application at a port of entry may apply for a work permit when seeking entry to Canada.
02
Upon receiving the approval for hiring a foreign worker for a specific position(s) of the company, the employer provides an official job offer to the foreign worker. Foreign worker submits an application for a work permit to the nearest Canadian visa office and work permit processing usually takes from 2-weeks to 1 month depending on the workload of the visa office. If approved, foreign workers will receive an employer specific work permit and the employee must follow the certain requirements and restrictions applied to the work permit document.
Labor market impact assessment (LMIA) exemption codes – International Mobility Program
Sections 204 to 208 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) provide the regulatory authority to issue a work permit to a worker who does not require a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) as per subparagraphs 200(1)(c)(i) to (ii.1).
Immigration and Citizenship of Canada has created LMIA exemption streams (via unique administrative codes) to capture the different eligibility for specific situations under which foreign candidates may apply for work permits directly without obtaining a LMIA based job offer.
