Temporary Resident Visas

“How to get an LMIA-approved job offer?” 

—-How to get an LMIA is a question that often comes to the mind of an aspiring immigrant who is thinking of moving to Canada for work. It is only natural for the person to be thinking about securing a source of stable income for themselves and their family before leaving their life behind for a new country. We have to remember that Canada is only a country of 38 million compared to its vast size. It has a very stable economy and can generate only a certain number of job openings in any given year.

However, there are still demands in businesses where positions are often not filled due to lack of skilled resources. Job openings are very dependent on communities and their business performance. In these circumstances employers decide to hire talents beyond the Canadian borders. A LMIA is a prerequisite before a job offer is made. Let us look at the following points to know better:

1. What is it: Before we discuss how to get a LMIA-approved job offer, we should have a basic understanding of what a LMIA application involves. According to IRCC a LMIA also known as Labour Market Impact Assessment is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.
2. How is the process: LMIA is a complex and detailed application process which requires an employer to go through different steps like advertising the position, reviewing carefully if a Canadian resident with similar skills is eligible or not and finally have a business in good standing. There are other requirements as well. A positive LMIA facilitates addressing the labour shortage for employers.
3. What after getting an LMIA: A positive or a neutral LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive or a neutral LMIA is also called a confirmation letter. Only when an employer is able to secure this confirmation, the eligible applicant can apply for a work permit.
4. LMIA Exempt Jobs: One does not need to get an LMIA for every job. There are various streams where an employer is able to hire candidates who are LMIA exempt. The process and the overall process time for these job seekers are different.
5. How to get one: And finally, how to get one. There is no special website where these openings are posted. But the rule is a local candidate will be given preference over a foreign national. A simple analogy would be your feeling if your mum gives away your favourite bar of chocolate to your neighbour’s kid even before offering it to you.

As discussed, in the previous points, every candidate will not require an LMIA to secure a job offer in Canada. Certain factors like your country of nationality, age, education, and experience may make you eligible to be a LMIA-exempt candidate. It is advised to not proceed for any application submission without thorough research, understanding or advice from experts to prevent refusals or delay. It is recommended to refer to IRCC’s website for all the latest updates and information for LMIA applications, Work Permits, Documentation and Temporary Foreign Worker Programs.

In this prolonged climate of pandemic, there are many sectors that have been deeply affected due to government rules and policies, however the same cannot be said for the tech sector here in Canada. We can consider top of the mind tech and consumer companies powered by digital technologies like Zoom, Doordash, Skip the dishes, Square and others have impacted our habits to a large extent.

The province of Alberta has witnessed a great deal of success there. The Calgary Economic Development has seen huge successes from the tech industry during the period of 2020-2021. An investment deal worth $1.1 billion was secured by Benevity. In terms of venture capital investment, Calgary and Edmonton broke almost all records. On the other hand, Vendasta headquartered in the heart of prairies, Saskatoon announced a historic amount of $119.5 million in financing. The Canadian tech sector is resilient to say the least.

We have excellent talents in Canada who have made such achievements possible and there are innovative ideas in the minds of these wizards waiting to take shape. The executor with the right qualification, experience and skill sets are essential to the future of the tech industry. There is a definite requirement for foreign skilled talents and there are eligible skilled professionals who could meet the requirements of these positions. The overall process to immigrate to Canada through the process of Express Entry or Provincial Nominee is time consuming. It takes about 6 months to a year for the applicant to be physically inside the country. On top of that with Covid and travel restrictions, things are volatile. Let us look at two other ways relatively shorter pathways to start working in-person:

• Global Talent Stream – This stream which began in 2017, allows the employer to hire talents through an expedited process. The Global Talent Stream started as a two-year pilot program through a partnership between Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Know more:
  • What Is GTS – The GTS assists certain Canadian employers to hire highly skilled talent from around the world enabling them to compete on an international scale.
  • Global Talent Stream Fee – The stream can be divided into Category A and Category B with an application fee of $1000.
  • Processing Time – The processing time is an average of 10 business days from the day the application is received.
  • Examples – Some of the positions that qualify for the Global Talent Stream are Web designers and developers, Software engineers and designers, Digital media designers, Computer programmers and interactive media developers.