Blue Bird Blog

Hiring a Temporary Foreign Worker: The Labor Market Impact Assessment Procedure in Canada

The Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a process used in Canada to determine if hiring a temporary foreign worker will have a negative effect on the Canadian job market.
The government requires employers to obtain a positive LMIA before they can recruit foreign workers for positions requiring a temporary work permit. The LMIA is conducted by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

The objective is to ensure that employers make sufficient efforts to hire Canadians or permanent residents before turning to foreign workers. ESDC also verifies that the conditions of employment offered (salary, benefits, etc.) correspond to the standards in effect locally for this type of position.

The jobs most often subject to the LMIA process are low-skilled and are found in sectors such as agriculture, food processing, hospitality or tourism. These may include positions such as farm laborer, hotel attendant, kitchen clerk, etc.

The LMIA helps protect the Canadian labor market by ensuring that positions can be filled by local workers before recruiting from abroad. It is a way of controlling the hiring of temporary foreign labour.

In numbers

🚚 Commercial truck driver: Average salary of $45,825 to $77,903. Truck drivers are in high demand in vital Canadian industries such as agriculture, oil and gas, minerals and metals, forestry and petrochemicals.

🌾 Farm Manager: Average salary from $35,939 to $49,286. The Canadian agricultural sector offers many opportunities for skilled agricultural workers.

👩‍⚕️ Care staff: Average salary of $31,955 to $58,000. Jobs for care workers are on the rise due to Canada's aging population.

👩‍💻 Software Developers and Engineers: Average salary from $75,596 to $102,000. The Canadian technology sector is in high demand for IT professionals, particularly in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and software development.

👷 Project managers in the construction industry: Average salary from $92,240 to $142,000. Canada offers many employment opportunities in the construction sector.

🔧 Drillers in the oil and gas industry: Average salary from $67,394 to $103,594. The Canadian oil and gas sector is in demand for drillers, particularly in Ontario and British Columbia.

👩‍⚕️ Licensed practical nurses: Average salary of $80,126 to $94,322. Licensed Practical Nurses are in high demand in Canada due to pressure on the healthcare sector.

🖥️ Web developers and designers: Average salary of $80,126 to $94,322. The need for web designers is increasing with the emergence of new online platforms.

⚡ Electricians: Average salary of $66,300 to $84,088. There is a shortage of qualified electricians in six Canadian provinces.

🏗️ Civil engineers: Average salary from $66,843 to $102,000. Canada also has a shortage of qualified civil engineers.

Other information

Jobs covered by the LMIA include the self-employed, intra-company transfers with specialized expertise, and workers whose skills and experience will help Canada.

The cost of the LMIA application is $1,000 per worker.

To become a permanent resident in Canada after an LMIA-approved job offer, foreign workers must complete all Express Entry program requirements.

Source: canadajobbank.org

Work

How long will it take to become a permanent resident of Canada in 2024?

Foreign nationals seeking permanent residence (PR) in Canada often look for the fastest pathway to achieving their goal and starting a new life in this country.
On a basic level, Canada has four primary immigration classes: economic immigration, family-class sponsorship, humanitarian/compassionate immigration and immigration for refugees/protected persons.
However, within those four general classifications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides foreign nationals with more than 100 ways to immigrate to Canada.

Finding a job in Ontario

Recently the Ontario provincial government chose to make it illegal for employers to require Canadian work experience in their job advertisements, in addition to making it mandatory for all job postings to feature salaries.
Both steps represent victories, not just for the Ontario labour force (who will now be able to see how the potential salary of a job compares to provincial and national averages); but especially for newcomers to Ontario—who are often held back from roles and professions they are qualified for, based on their lack of Canadian experience.
Considering these two changes, CIC News has compiled the following guide for newcomers looking for a job in Ontario.

Ontario looking to ban employers from requiring Canadian work experience on application forms and in job postings

In a first-of-its-kind move among all Canadian provinces and territories, Ontario has announced its intention to introduce new legislation that would, if passed, ban employers from requiring “Canadian work experience … in job postings or application forms.”
Announced today, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development hopes this new legislation will help more newcomers fill in-demand labour shortages across the province.

Canadian federal court denies work permit based on IELTS score

A citizen of Iran was a home design and renovation manager for seven years. In 2022, she signed an employment contract to work as a Residential Home Builder with a construction company located in Vancouver. The job duties and responsibilities included planning and preparing work schedules, selecting and employing trade subcontractors and managing budgets.

IRCC to review the Post-Graduation Work Permit for first time in 10 years

On October 27th, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced changes to its International Student Program that will be implemented in the coming months to strengthen the program and protect students from fraud.
The measures will require Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) to confirm every applicant’s letter of acceptance directly with IRCC in order to ensure that study permits are issued based only on genuine letters of acceptance.
By the 2024 fall semester, IRCC will adopt a “recognized institution” framework that will be benefit DLIs in a variety of ways, such as priority processing of study permit applications.

Five pathways for tech talent in the U.S. to come to Canada

There are many ways for technology sector workers in the U.S. to come to Canada for work, after which this country also provides these individuals with several pathways to Canadian permanent residence (PR).
Canada has a well-documented need for skilled workers in the tech industry, evidenced most recently by the introduction of category-based Express Entry draws for five different occupational groups.