Last Updated On 6 March 2023, 10:11 AM EST (Toronto Time)
While most employers need a positive Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support your job offer for Express Entry, some jobs are LMIA-exempt.
However, LMIA-exempt job offers may not be as common as they have specific conditions and requirements.
Getting an LMIA-exempt job offer depends on the type of work you do and your employer.
Learn below when your employer does not require an LMIA and about the jobs that are LMIA-exempt.
Situations when your employer does not need an LMIA
If you meet the following requirements, your employer does not need an LMIA to support your job offer:
- You must have worked for an employer mentioned on your work permit for at least one year or have accumulated equivalent part-time experience.
- Have a valid job offer, and
- A valid work permit which is exempt from an LMIA under:
- International agreement
- Federal-provincial agreement
- “Canadian interests” category
If you meet the above requirements, you may be exempt from needing an LMIA under the below categories.
LMIA-Exempt Jobs
You may be excluded from needing an LMIA for Express Entry if your current temporary work is LMIA-exempt, mentions a specific employer or employers (for skilled trade jobs, up to two employers can make a job offer), and is:
- Part of an international agreement, such as CUSMA or GATS, and non-trade agreements. It can include professionals, traders and investors.
- It is an agreement between Canada and a province or territory, including “significant investment” projects.
- Exempt for “Canadian interests” for the following reasons:
- Providing “significant benefit“-if your employer can demonstrate that you will provide significant social, cultural, and economic benefit to Canada. This could include:
- General: such as self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc
- Workers transferred within a company, such as intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge – only those whose talents and experience will help Canada.
- Workers who are under Mobilité francophone
- Having Reciprocal employment- it allows foreign workers to get jobs in Canada while Canadians have similar opportunities in other countries
- The general category includes professional coaches and athletes working for Canadian teams.
- International Experience Canada – it is a work-abroad program for young professionals
- Individuals part of exchange programs such as visiting lecturers and professors
- Minister designated
- These include academic researchers, guest lecturers and visiting professors sponsored by a recognized federal program.
- Competitiveness and public policy
- fellows and medical residents
- Post-doctoral fellows and those who won academic awards from Canadian schools
- Religious and charity workers, excluding volunteers
- Providing “significant benefit“-if your employer can demonstrate that you will provide significant social, cultural, and economic benefit to Canada. This could include:
It is important to note that even though these jobs are exempt from LMIA, you still need a valid work permit. In addition, you must also meet the initial requirements that exempt employers from getting you an LMIA
Source: IRCC
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