What is an LMIA?
In some cases where a foreign national may require a labor market impact assessment in order to get recruited by a Canadian employer before they get their valid work permit. As an LMIA makes an employer eligible to hire a temporary foreign worker for the fulfillment of the particular job. Thereby, a positive LMIA means:-
Steps to apply for an LMIA:
Determine skill level:
Before applying for an LMIA. It is advisable to have the proper knowledge of the skill level of the intended job that too according to the Canadian government. Therefore, one can check this by going through the National Occupation Classification (NOC) system (LIST) on the official Canadian government website.
Meet Minimum Advertising Requirements:
The employer has to make genuine efforts for fulfilling the job requirements from within the Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. As they have to show the proof of an advertisement for at least 1 month in the last 3 months and also about the targeted audience of before giving an LMIA.
Prevailing Wage Rate:
As there must be proper equality between the wage rates as the foreign national will get the same rate as a Canadian would get in the same place.
Special conditions:
Industries that are hiring foreign nationals may require to follow a special set of rules to be followed. For instance: live-in caregivers, occupations that need prior formal training for NOC D and C jobs, seasonal agriculture; etc.
Eligibility Requirements:
Therefore in the aim of becoming eligible, the employer must assure that there is no Canadian resident eligible with the required set of skills and the foreign national will not in any case effect the labor market negatively.
Application Submission:
The application shall be submitted by the employer and it can be submitted before an identified prospective temporary worker.
Connecting with Foreign Worker:
Service Canada will assess the LMIA application. If they approve it then the copy of it, along with a LMIA will be provided to the shortlisted temporary workers, after that they can apply for their permit
To apply for a work permit, a worker needs: a job offer, a contract, a copy of the LMIA, and the LMIA number.
If the LMIA is refused the fee will not be refunded. If one has an additional document they can apply for re-assessment. The employer has to pay $1000 for each LMIA.