LMIA Exempt Work Permit

LMIA-exempt job offers – skilled immigrants (Express Entry)

In most cases, your employer needs a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) to support your job offer for Express Entry. Some jobs do not need an LMIA.

• Your employer doesn’t need an LMIA to support your job offer if:
• you have been working full-time for the employer on your work permit for at least 1 year(or an equal amount of part-time work)
• you have a valid job offer, and

 You have a valid work permit that is exempt from an LMIA under:

• an international agreement
• a federal-provincial agreement
• the “Canadian interests” category

Jobs exempt from the LMIA

You may be exempt from needing an LMIA for Express Entry if your current temporary job is LMIA-exempt, states a specific employer or employers (for skilled trade jobs, up to two employers can make a job offer), and is:

• Covered by an international agreementlike NAFTA or GATS, and non-trade agreements. This can include professionals, traders and investors.
• Covered by an agreement between Canada and a province or territory.This includes “significant investment” projects.

Exempt for “Canadian interests” reasons:

“Significant benefit” – if your employer can prove you will bring an important social, cultural, and/or economic benefit to Canada. This can include:

• General: Self-employed engineers, technical workers, creative and performing artists, etc.
• workers transferred within a company (intra-company transferees with specialized knowledge) – only those that will benefit Canada with their skills and experience
• workers under Mobilité francophone

Reciprocal employment – lets foreign workers get jobs in Canada when Canadians have similar opportunities in other countries

• general (such as professional coaches and athletes working for Canadian teams)
• International Experience Canada – a work abroad program for youth and young professionals
• people in exchange programs like professors and visiting lecturers

Designated by the Minister

• academics, including researchers, guest lecturers and visiting professors (sponsored through a recognized federal program)
• competitiveness and public policy
• medical residents and fellows

Post-doctoral fellows and people who have won academic awards from Canadian schools

Charity and religious work (not including volunteers)