The Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a process that determines the impact of hiring foreign workers on the Canadian labour market and work force.
Whenever intending to hire a foreign worker, a Canadian employer needs to justify that no pre-existing Canadian (citizen or PR) qualifies for the job vacancy available and that it can be fulfilled only by a foreign worker.
It is the responsibility of every Canadian employer to procure this LMIA document (formerly known as Labour Market Opinion – LMO) before they proceed with a foreign hire.
The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) is responsible for the process of assessing and verifying an offer of employment. This is primarily done to ensure that there is no negative impact on the Canadian labor market.
It is generally observed that obtaining a positive LMIA has higher chances if it is located in major Canadian cities. A specialized position with a high salary has a brighter chance of a positive LMIA.
Some of the popular LMIA jobs in Canada include: