Employer-specific work permit (LMIA)

An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Canada for a particular employer under the conditions printed on the permit, until its expiry date. The permit lists your employer, the location and your occupation under Additional Information. It lists numbered requirements under Conditions, and any clarifications under Remarks.

You must follow everything listed on the permit. If you want to change the employer or the job, that is a change to your permit, so check with IRCC before you do it. The other main kind of permit is an open work permit, which is not tied to one employer.

You need a job offer from an employer in Canada that is not on the list of non-compliant employers. You must also meet the general requirements that apply to every work permit applicant.

Some people do not need a work permit at all. If you do need one and you do not have it, you cannot legally work in Canada, and you cannot say on a job application that you are legally allowed to work. If you do not have a job offer yet, IRCC points to the Job Bank, where you can search for jobs open to temporary foreign workers.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment, known as an LMIA, is a document that shows there is a need to hire a foreign worker. IRCC says most jobs need one. Your employer handles this part, not you.

Before you apply, your employer must work out whether your job needs an LMIA or is LMIA-exempt. If it needs one, the employer applies for it. The employer then gives you the documents you must include in your application. For a job with a positive LMIA, those are the LMIA letter and the Annex A.

The employer pays for its part. Where an LMIA is needed, the employer usually pays the LMIA processing fee to Employment and Social Development Canada. Where no LMIA is needed, the employer usually pays an employer compliance fee through the Employer Portal, although some employers are exempt.

IRCC names several popular employer-specific routes: the Young Professionals category of International Experience Canada, the Global Skills Strategy and agricultural workers.

• Work permit fee: CAD $155 per person.
• Biometrics: CAD $85 for an individual, or up to CAD $170 for a family, if you need to give them.

Some applicants are exempt from some or all of the fees. The fee list on the IRCC website is the place to confirm the current amounts on the day you apply, because they change.

You can apply from outside Canada, from inside Canada or at a port of entry, depending on your situation. You can also extend a permit you already hold. Each route has its own IRCC page, so start with the one that matches where you are.

If you apply from inside Canada, the steps are:

• Check whether you need any special instructions.
• Sign in to your IRCC secure account, or create one.
• Answer the questions and upload your forms and the documents on your personal checklist.
• Pay the fees at the end of the application, by credit or debit card.
• Submit a complete application.
• If you need biometrics, wait for the instruction letter and book your appointment as soon as you can.

Your application may be refused if documents or information are missing, so check the checklist twice before you submit.

If you apply for a new work permit before your current one expires, you may be able to stay in Canada while IRCC finishes processing, even after your status runs out. IRCC calls this maintained status, and you must stay in Canada to benefit from it. Check the IRCC page on whether you can keep working while you wait, because the rules depend on your case.

Canadian work experience can help you later. A change for Express Entry takes effect on 3 November 2026: a job offer will no longer need an LMIA to qualify for points. Read our Express Entry guide for the details before you plan around a particular employer.