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Do I Need an LMIA to Work in Canada?
For most employer-specific jobs, yes: the default route into Canadian work is the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, where the employer must first obtain a positive LMIA. But there are real, well-used exceptions, and checking them first can save months. This page goes through them in the order IRCC itself presents them.
You may not need an LMIA if you already hold an open work permit
An open work permit is not tied to one employer, so the hiring employer needs no LMIA, no offer-of-employment submission and no compliance fee. Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) holders are the largest group — they can work for any eligible employer for up to three years depending on their program of study. Spouses of certain workers and students hold open permits too. If a candidate already holds a valid open permit, hire them like a Canadian, subject to the conditions printed on the permit.
International Experience Canada (IEC)
IEC lets young people (generally 18 to 35) from more than 30 partner countries and territories work in Canada under Working Holiday, Young Professionals and International Co-op categories. Employers do not need an LMIA to hire an IEC participant — IRCC states this directly. For many young workers this is a faster door than the LMIA route, and time worked under IEC counts as Canadian experience for later applications.
The International Mobility Program (IMP)
The IMP is IRCC's umbrella for LMIA-exempt, mostly employer-specific work permits — cases where Canada waives the labour-market test because of a trade agreement, a reciprocal arrangement, or a broader Canadian interest. The employer usually submits the offer of employment through IRCC's Employer Portal and pays a $230 employer compliance fee before the worker applies. Whether a specific job and worker fit an IMP category is a case-by-case question — IRCC's hiring guidance is the place to confirm it, and our Eligibility Checker starts with exactly these branches.
The Global Talent Stream is fast — but it still needs an LMIA
A common confusion: the Global Talent Stream (GTS) is not LMIA-exempt. It is an LMIA stream for innovative firms referred by designated partners and for occupations on the Global Talent Occupations List, with a 10-business-day LMIA service standard and a Labour Market Benefits Plan required of the employer. In the current register window, 1,562 approvals ran through the Global Talent Stream.
When the answer is simply yes
If none of the above applies — no open permit, no IEC eligibility, no IMP category — the employer needs an LMIA before you can be hired for that specific job. That is the situation for the large majority of the 132,036 positions approved in the current register window, and it is why the approved-employer register matters: those employers have already done it.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Can I work in Canada without an LMIA on a visitor visa?
No. Visitor status does not authorize work. You need a work permit — either LMIA-based, LMIA-exempt under a program like the IMP or IEC, or an open work permit — before you start working.
Is the Global Talent Stream LMIA-exempt?
No. The Global Talent Stream is an LMIA stream with faster processing (a 10-business-day service standard) for referred innovative firms and listed in-demand occupations. The employer still applies for and must receive an LMIA.
What is the difference between the TFWP and the IMP?
Under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program the employer needs a positive LMIA from ESDC first. Under the International Mobility Program no LMIA is required because an exemption applies; IRCC administers it, and the employer usually files the offer through the Employer Portal with a $230 compliance fee.
Do employers pay anything when no LMIA is needed?
For most employer-specific IMP hires, the employer pays a $230 compliance fee and submits the offer of employment through IRCC's Employer Portal. Hiring someone who already holds an open work permit carries neither the fee nor the submission.
How do I know which route fits me?
Work through the branches in order — open permit, IEC, IMP, Global Talent Stream, then the standard LMIA streams. Our Eligibility Checker asks the same questions and links each outcome to the official page.