Government-supported, employer-led, fast-tracked.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document issued by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) confirming that a Canadian employer needs a foreign worker because no Canadian or permanent resident is available to fill the role. A positive LMIA is the prerequisite for most employer-specific work permits and, just as importantly, it adds 50 to 200 points to a candidate's Comprehensive Ranking System score in the Express Entry pool.

When an LMIA is Required

An LMIA is required when a Canadian employer wants to hire a foreign national for a position that is not exempt under the International Mobility Program. In practice, that includes most direct hires in healthcare, skilled trades, agriculture, hospitality, transportation, manufacturing, and a wide swath of professional services. It is not required for intra-company transferees, free-trade-agreement professionals, post-graduation work permit holders, spouses of qualifying workers, or open work permit categories.

If you are unsure whether your situation requires an LMIA, the Eligibility Quiz will return an answer in under five minutes.

The Northhaven LMIA Workflow

We work both sides of the file. The employer side is where most LMIA applications fail, so it is where we apply the most discipline.

Phase 1 · Employer Onboarding

We confirm the employer's eligibility, business legitimacy, and compliance history. We map the role to the correct National Occupational Classification code, set the prevailing wage, and determine whether the application falls under the high-wage or low-wage stream.

Phase 2 · Recruitment Compliance

ESDC requires demonstrable, documented recruitment efforts. We run the recruitment plan to specification: minimum four weeks of advertising on the Canada Job Bank plus two additional methods, structured candidate review, and an audit-ready record of why no Canadian or permanent resident was selected.

Phase 3 · Application Filing

Forms, transition plan, business documentation, attestations, and supporting evidence are filed as a single coherent package. Files we file should not need to be re-opened.

Phase 4 · Decision

ESDC issues a positive, neutral, or negative LMIA. We respond to officer questions in real time and address concerns before they become refusals.

Phase 5 · Work Permit

With a positive LMIA in hand, the foreign worker applies for an employer-specific work permit through IRCC. We prepare and file that application, including dependents where applicable.

High-Wage vs Low-Wage Streams

The streams differ by wage relative to the provincial median. Each stream has distinct requirements, caps, and transition planning rules.

• High-wage stream. Wage at or above the provincial median. Requires a transition plan describing how the employer will reduce reliance on temporary foreign workers over time.
• Low-wage stream. Wage below the provincial median. Subject to caps on the proportion of low-wage TFWs in the workforce, plus housing and transportation obligations.

The right stream is determined by the role and wage, not by preference. We confirm both before we start drafting.

Common Rejection Reasons We Pre-Empt

• Insufficient or non-compliant recruitment advertising
• Wage set below prevailing rate
• Missing or generic transition plan
• Business legitimacy concerns (corporate registration, payroll, financial viability)
• Inadequate justification of the genuine need for the position
• Mismatched NOC code

Each of these has a checklist. Each checklist closes before we file.

Processing Time

Processing time depends on the stream, the province, and ESDC workload at the time of filing.

| Stream | Typical ESDC Processing | | --- | --- | | Global Talent Stream | 10 business days | | High-wage | 30–60 business days | | Low-wage | 30–80 business days | | Agricultural / SAWP | Stream-specific |

Northhaven's 4–6 week end-to-end timing applies to qualifying lanes — primarily Global Talent Stream cases, government-contracted employer streams, and select high-wage files where recruitment can be completed in parallel. Standard high-wage and low-wage applications operate on ESDC's schedule.

Fees

LMIA professional fees are quoted on a fixed-fee basis, separate from the ESDC government fee (currently CAD 1,000 per position) and any third-party costs (translation, courier, medicals if required for the work permit). For our current fee bands and what is included in each tier, see Pricing.

What to do next

If you are an applicant, the Eligibility Quiz tells you whether an LMIA-led pathway fits your profile. If you are an employer, contact us for a 15-minute discovery call — bring your job description and intended wage and we will tell you within the call whether the file is workable.