Content reviewed: 2026-09-13
A positive LMIA does not, by itself, authorize a worker to start a job. On an LMIA-required route, the employer applies to ESDC/Service Canada, and the worker uses the assessment to support a separate IRCC work permit application. Some employer-specific permits are LMIA-exempt, so not every foreign hire needs an assessment. Start with IRCC’s work permit selection tool to identify the applicable route before planning the hire and application.
Under the high-wage stream fee rules, the employer pays CAD 1,000 for each vacancy requested and cannot charge it to, or recover it from, the foreign worker. For example, three non-exempt vacancies with the same job title cost CAD 3,000; one title or location does not reduce them to a single fee. Withdrawal, cancellation or a negative decision normally brings no refund, although fees collected in error can be refunded. Specific in-home care situations and listed on-farm primary agriculture occupations have exemptions; these do not cover every low-wage job or agricultural company.
Recruitment rules also depend on the stream. High-wage applications generally require three recruitment activities: Job Bank and two other methods, one searchable nationally. An alternative to Job Bank needs written justification. Advertising must run for at least four consecutive weeks within the three months before submission, and at least one recruitment activity must continue until the LMIA decision. These are high-wage requirements, not a universal four-week rule for every stream.
GTS is a specialized LMIA stream. Category A requires referral by a designated partner and unique, specialized talent to help the business grow. Category B uses the global talent occupations list and needs no referral; calling a business a technology company is not enough. GTS has no minimum recruitment requirement, although employers describe their efforts and develop a Labour Market Benefits Plan with ESDC. Category A must commit to job creation for Canadians and permanent residents; Category B to increased skills and training investment. At least two complementary benefits are also required.
When planning a start date, distinguish completed-case averages from service targets. ESDC’s table updated September 10, 2026 reports August averages of 90 business days for high-wage applications, 82 for low-wage and 10 for GTS. These run from receipt of complete information to an assessment decision and vary with the month and workload. The table is not a deadline promised to new applicants and excludes advertising and subsequent work permit processing.
| LMIA stream | Average business days, August 2026 | What the figure covers |
|---|---|---|
| High-wage | 90 | Complete information received to Service Canada’s decision |
| Low-wage | 82 | Excludes recruitment advertising beforehand |
| Global Talent Stream | 10 | Excludes the worker’s subsequent IRCC work permit process |
The GTS LMIA service target is 10 business days for 80% of cases. IRCC’s separate Global Skills Strategy (GSS) aims to process eligible, complete work permit applications within two weeks. Applicants generally apply online from outside Canada and provide required medical results, translations and biometrics; doctors and certain healthcare workers have separate conditions for applying inside Canada. A positive GTS LMIA is one eligibility route. Open work permits and IEC are excluded from ordinary two-week GSS processing. Adding the two targets together cannot guarantee a start date.
LMIA-exempt does not mean open work permit. Within IEC, Working Holiday permits are open; Young Professionals and International Co-op require a job offer and the employer’s submission through the Employer Portal, including the CAD 230 employer compliance fee. Not every partner country offers all three categories. An IEC label therefore does not establish a right to switch employers freely. Graduates, spouses and other applicants must likewise check the conditions of their own permit category.
Cross-border terminology can be misleading. U.S. or Mexican citizens coming to Canada can check their eligibility under CUSMA and other free trade agreement routes. The U.S. TN classification instead allows qualifying Canadian or Mexican citizens to enter the United States for specified professional work. It is not for U.S. citizens applying to work in their own country, nor does an engineering job alone make a Taiwanese citizen eligible. Citizenship, qualifications, occupation and destination are separate requirements.
Before paying, identify the charge and who is responsible for it. LMIA and employer recruitment costs, including related representation costs, cannot be passed to the foreign worker. But hiring a legitimate immigration representative is not itself a scam, and the worker’s own government application fees or separately retained professional services are not automatically free. Ask for a written scope, itemized fees and receipts. Use the regulators linked by IRCC to check the standing of a consultant, lawyer, notary or Ontario paralegal. Promised approval, demands to buy a job or concealment of the actual employer are reasons to stop payment and investigate.
An LMIA is also separate from permanent residence approval. IRCC’s job-offer guidance and the current Express Entry ministerial instructions record the removal of the former 50/200 CRS job-offer points from March 25, 2025. The former 200 points referred to NOC Major Group 00, not all TEER 0 jobs. A job offer can still matter to eligibility for particular programs; its details should not simply be omitted, and it does not guarantee PR. To compare residence options, explore the Canada PR pathways overview and check the official criteria for each program you are considering.