High-wage
The offered wage is at or above the applicable provincial or territorial threshold. Employers generally require a transition plan and may request a duration aligned with reasonable need, currently up to three years in ordinary cases.
LMIA services for employers
Recruit carefully. Document honestly. Build the labour-market case.
An LMIA is the employer’s application—not the foreign worker’s. A credible submission connects a genuine business need, current wage and stream rules, meaningful Canadian recruitment and consistent job terms.
Employer immigration support from Pranav Bhushan, Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, RCIC R705848, in Mississauga, Ontario.
Book an employer consultationWritten and reviewed byPranav Bhushan
Professional designationRCIC R705848
Last substantively reviewedJuly 17, 2026
Primary authorityESDC Temporary Foreign Worker Program
The short answer
What does an LMIA establish?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment determines whether hiring a temporary foreign worker is likely to have a positive or negative effect on Canada’s labour market.
Service Canada assesses the employer, the genuineness of the job offer, the wage and working conditions, recruitment efforts, labour-market need and other factors required by the selected stream. The Temporary Foreign Worker Program is intended for situations where qualified Canadians and permanent residents are not available.
A positive LMIA supports—but does not decide—the worker’s separate work-permit application. The employer and worker processes must align while remaining legally distinct.
Program streams
The position determines the application route.
Choosing the wrong stream can invalidate months of recruitment or make the application ineligible for processing.
Low-wage
The wage is below the applicable threshold. Additional rules may address caps, processing restrictions, transportation, housing, health insurance and maximum employment duration.
Specialized streams
Different requirements apply to the Global Talent Stream, agriculture, caregivers, academics, permanent residence support, Quebec applications and the Recognized Employer Pilot.
Current wage classification
Ontario’s threshold changed on July 17, 2026.
For LMIA applications received in Ontario on or after July 17, 2026, the published hourly threshold is $36.92. An offered wage at or above that threshold is assessed through the high-wage route; a lower wage generally falls into the low-wage route, subject to specialized streams and rules.
The threshold is not the same as the prevailing wage for the occupation. Employers must separately ensure that the offered wage satisfies the program’s wage requirements for the occupation and location and is consistent with what is paid to Canadians and permanent residents in comparable employment.
Planning rule
Check three figures before advertising: the provincial stream threshold, the current prevailing wage for the occupation and the wage paid to comparable employees. Use the figure required by the applicable rule—not whichever is lowest.
Source: ESDC — current high-wage and low-wage thresholds. Thresholds and Job Bank wage data can change.
Pre-application assessment
Test the employer and position before advertising.
The most expensive LMIA problems often begin before the first job advertisement is posted.
Business legitimacy
Can the employer demonstrate a genuine, operating business providing goods or services in Canada and a reasonable employment need?
Position and NOC
Do the title, lead statement, duties, qualifications and working conditions describe the actual job rather than a desired immigration outcome?
Wage and stream
Does the offered compensation meet current requirements and place the application in the intended stream?
Processing eligibility
Could a low-wage cap, regional unemployment measure, previous revocation or another refusal-to-process rule apply?
Recruitment plan
Which advertising period, methods, audiences and ongoing recruitment obligations apply to this stream and occupation?
Employer compliance
Can the employer maintain the promised wages, duties, conditions, records and workplace protections throughout employment?
Canadian recruitment
The recruitment record must show a genuine search—not a predetermined result.
Advertising is only one part of recruitment. The employer must preserve the ads, publication dates, platforms, applicant records, screening decisions, interview notes and job-related reasons why available Canadian citizens or permanent residents were not hired.
As of April 1, 2026, employers applying for low-wage positions generally must advertise the offer for at least eight consecutive weeks within the three months before submitting and target youth as part of recruitment. Requirements vary by stream and can change, so the plan must be confirmed before advertising begins.
A defensible applicant log records
- Where and when the candidate applied
- Whether the person appeared authorized to work in Canada
- How the resume matched each genuine essential requirement
- Whether an interview or follow-up was offered and completed
- The specific, lawful, job-related outcome of the assessment
- Supporting notes written at the time—not reconstructed months later
Nationality and immigration category should not be used as shortcuts. Candidate assessments should focus on authorization, availability and the genuine qualifications of the job while complying with employment and human-rights law.
Source: ESDC — current low-wage program and recruitment requirements.
Employer process
Build the evidence while the process unfolds.
- 01
Assess the employer, role and stream
Review business legitimacy, workforce, NOC, wage, location, duration, caps and possible refusal-to-process rules.
- 02
Design compliant recruitment
Confirm the current advertising period, platforms, content, audiences and ongoing recruitment requirements before posting.
- 03
Recruit and document in real time
Assess Canadian and permanent resident applicants fairly and preserve a clear, job-related record of every outcome.
- 04
Prepare the employer application
Align the business need, recruitment results, job terms, wage, supporting records and transition or labour-market information.
- 05
Respond to Service Canada
Prepare for an employer interview or document request and answer consistently from the contemporaneous record.
- 06
Coordinate the worker application
If the LMIA is positive, provide the required documents for the separate work permit and maintain the offered conditions.
High-wage and low-wage
The stream changes more than the application label.
IssueWhy it matters
Transition plan
Generally required for high-wage applications unless an exemption applies; it sets commitments to reduce reliance on the program.
Low-wage workforce cap
Ordinarily 10%, with a 20% cap for specified sectors and occupations. Ontario is not participating in the 2026 rural temporary measures.
Regional processing restriction
Certain low-wage applications in CMAs with unemployment of 6% or higher will not be processed unless an exemption applies.
Employment duration
Current guidance generally permits up to three years for high-wage positions and one year for low-wage positions, aligned with reasonable need.
Worker supports
Low-wage employers have additional obligations that may include transportation, housing suitability and private health insurance.
Sources: high-wage requirements, low-wage requirements and refusal-to-process rules.
Avoid these mistakes
An LMIA cannot be repaired with generic explanations.
- Advertising before confirming the correct stream and wage
- Using duties or requirements that do not reflect the real job
- Rejecting qualified applicants for vague or unsupported reasons
- Reconstructing recruitment records only after advertising ends
- Overlooking low-wage caps or regional processing restrictions
- Providing inconsistent wages, hours, duties or work locations
- Failing to establish a genuine business and reasonable labour need
- Charging or recovering recruitment or LMIA fees from the worker
After a positive LMIA
The worker still needs separate authorization.
A positive LMIA is not a work permit and does not guarantee one. The worker must submit the appropriate application and establish eligibility, qualifications, temporary residence requirements and admissibility.
The employer should not allow the person to begin or continue working merely because the LMIA was approved or a permit application was submitted. The worker’s current status and authorization must be assessed independently.
Explore work permit services →Frequently asked questions
Employer LMIAs, clearly answered.
What is a Labour Market Impact Assessment?
An LMIA is Service Canada’s assessment of an employer’s request to hire a temporary foreign worker. It examines the legitimacy of the business and job offer and the likely effect of the hire on Canada’s labour market.
Does an LMIA belong to the employer or the worker?
The employer submits and owns the LMIA application. If a positive LMIA is issued, the named worker generally uses it for a separate work-permit application. A positive LMIA does not itself authorize work.
How do we know whether a position is high-wage or low-wage?
The offered wage is compared with the current hourly wage threshold for the province or territory of work. For LMIAs received in Ontario from July 17, 2026, the published threshold is $36.92 per hour. The government updates thresholds, so employers should verify the figure when planning and again before filing.
How long must an employer advertise?
The period and recruitment methods depend on the stream. As of April 1, 2026, low-wage employers generally must advertise for at least eight consecutive weeks within the three months before applying and target youth in recruitment. High-wage and other streams have their own current requirements.
Can we reject applicants because they are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents?
Candidate decisions should be lawful, job-related and accurately documented. An employer should assess authorization to work, qualifications and the genuine requirements of the position rather than use unsupported blanket statements. The recruitment record must demonstrate genuine efforts to hire Canadians and permanent residents.
How much is the LMIA processing fee?
For most LMIA streams, the current fee is $1,000 for each position requested. It cannot be paid by or recovered from the temporary foreign worker, and it is generally not refunded after withdrawal, cancellation or a negative decision.
Does a positive LMIA guarantee a work permit?
No. Service Canada decides the LMIA and IRCC or a border services officer decides the separate work-permit application. The worker must independently meet the work-permit and admissibility requirements.
Can an RCIC guarantee a positive LMIA?
No. Service Canada makes the decision. An RCIC can assess program fit, structure recruitment, prepare the employer application, respond to program questions and coordinate the worker’s separate immigration process.
Assess before advertising