What is lmia Canada?

LMIA in Canada is the abbreviation of labor market impact assessment, and its full English name is labor market impact assessment.

Its predecessor was the labor market opinion (LMO), and it was officially renamed Lima in 20 14. LIMA is an evaluation report made by the Canadian Labor Department to judge whether employers have the need and ability to hire foreigners.

LMIA needs an employer's application. If employers in Canada need to recruit temporary foreign workers, they must first submit an application to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

If the official approval is obtained, Active LMIA can be used to assist temporary foreign workers to apply for work permits, so that they can go to Canada to work for this employer.

The Canadian government stipulates that employers are allowed to hire foreign employees when the domestic job market cannot meet the needs of enterprises.

In other words, to apply for LMIA, Canadian employers must provide evidence to prove that they are trying to find qualified Canadian citizens or permanent residents to fill jobs first, but because they can't recruit suitable employees, they turn to hire foreign employees.

LMIA essence:

It is to evaluate whether recruiting a foreigner will have too much negative impact on the employment of local people.

LMIA represents a balance: on the one hand, it protects the employment of local people, on the other hand, it supports local enterprises to recruit competitive talents globally (good quality and low price).