Accelerated LMIA Processing for Foreign Workers in Canada

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) helps Canadian employers fill labor and skills gaps with foreign workers when no qualified and available Canadians or permanent residents (PR) are available.

Employers must complete a Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to prove that the hiring of foreign talent will not have a negative impact on the Canadian labor market.

On average, LMIAs took more than 21 business days to process in December 2022 across the seven streams handled by IRCC, including the Global Talent Stream, Agricultural stream, Permanent Residence stream, High-wage stream, Low-wage stream, In-home caregivers stream, and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program.

However, in the following three circumstances, the processing time of an LMIA can be expedited to 10 business days.

Note: Employers that fall under the following categories are still required to meet all usual program requirements to be considered for TFWP approval despite the expedited processing time.

LMIAs for workers in high-wage skilled trade occupations

Employers who wish to hire foreign workers for high-wage skilled trade occupations, deemed essential for infrastructure development and natural resource extraction, and that offer a wage equal to or above the median wage in the province or territory where the job is located, can avail an expedited 10-business-day processing service for their LMIA application. These skilled trades are considered vital to Canada’s economic growth.

Below is a list of all skilled trade occupations in this category, along with their National Occupation Classification 2021 (NOC 2021) codes.

LMIAs for workers being paid at or above the level of the top 10%

For employers offering high wages to foreign workers, the LMIA process can be expedited to within 10 business days. This fast-tracked service is available for employers who offer wages that meet or exceed the top 10% earned by Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the specific province or territory where the job is located. These workers are considered highly skilled and their skills are difficult to find in the Canadian labor force.

Here are the median hourly wages in each Canadian province and territory as of April 30, 2022 (2019 wages):

• Alberta (AB): $28.85
• British Columbia (BC): $26.44
• Manitoba (MB): $23.00
• Ontario (ON): $26.06
• Quebec (QC): $25.00
• Saskatchewan (SK): $25.96
• Prince Edward Island (PEI): $21.63
• New Brunswick (NB): $21.79
• Newfoundland and Labrador (NL): $24.29
• Nova Scotia (NS): $22.00
• Northwest Territories (NT): $37.30
• Nunavut (NU): $36.00
• Yukon (YT): $32.00

LMIAs for workers in occupations with a short duration

The 10 business day expedited processing standard is available for employers who want to hire a foreign worker for a short duration, not exceeding 120 calendar days. The wage offered to the foreign worker must be at or above the median wage in the province or territory where the job is located, and the roles may include handling repairs, warranties or operating manufacturing equipment.