In recent times, Canada has consistently made efforts to make its immigration process and policies smooth and easy. This will ensure that prospective immigrants to Canada experience fewer challenges when applying to come to Canada.
In a bid to modernize the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), and improve client service, Service Canada is transitioning to online Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications.
An LMIA is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker. A positive 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 fill that job.
The LMIA portal is no longer on the TFWP Website but has its own portal. It is called LMIA Online Portal. From April 2023, employers and their law firms, and other third-party representatives will be required to submit LMIA applications using the LMIA Online Portal. The LMIA application form has been removed from the TFWP website.
What is the LMIA Online Portal?
The LMIA Online Portal is a reliable and secure electronic tool that allows Canadian employers and their lawyers to submit an LMIA application to Service Canada.
Requirements to Use the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) Online Portal
Before an employer can use the LMIA portal, they must meet these requirements:
- Have a business number issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
- Both employer and the third-party representative (if applicable) must have an active Job Bank account. You will use your Job Bank login credentials to log in to the LMIA Online Portal.
- Review the requirements for the immigration stream you are applying for. If it is either:
- Agricultural
- Global Talent Stream (including your Labour Market Benefits Plan)
- High Wage
- Foreign Academic
- Low Wage
- Caregiver
- Permanent Residency
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program
- Have the required supporting documentation. That is, gather documents that support your business legitimacy and your LMIA application. For example:
- lease agreement
- tax documents
- recruitment documents (example: ads)
There are some exemptions to using the LMIA Online Portal. Employers may be granted an exemption to submitting their LMIA application online if they meet certain requirements. To request a PDF LMIA application form, employers should send an email to edsc.demande.formulaire.ptet-tfwp.form.request.esdc@servicecanada.gc.ca.
What You Can Do in The LMIA Online Portal
Once you have a Job Bank account created, you’ll be able to do the following in the LMIA Online Portal:
- submit an LMIA application 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- complete or return to an LMIA application before submitting it to Service Canada
- upload supporting documents
- securely pay LMIA fees, if applicable
- get real-time updates on the status of your application
- view correspondence and decision letters issued by Service Canada
- review previously submitted applications
- access and follow the status of your application when a third-party representative is submitting an LMIA application on your behalf
- create a new LMIA application by copying the information from a previous application
- access TFWP system experts for assistance with technical problems
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