Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program allows Canadian employers to hire foreign workers temporarily to fill labor shortages. To do so, they need a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), a document from the government that evaluates whether hiring a foreign worker will negatively affect the Canadian job market. The employer must demonstrate that they have tried to find Canadians or permanent residents for the job first. A positive LMIA indicates that hiring a foreign worker is necessary and won't harm local workers, enabling the foreign worker to apply for a work permit.