Your Dreams Our Commitment

Variations to Minimum Advertising Requirements (LMIA)

Employers who wish to hire foreign workers in the following categories are subject to a variation in the advertising requirements for a Labour Market Impact Assessment.

See below for a list of employment situations for which the usual advertising requirement for a LMIA do not apply.

In certain situations, the variation(s) may only apply to a certain province or provinces

Academics (University Professors)

Description: The position is for an academic and is not covered by any other applicable Labour Market Impact Assessment exemption.
Foreign workers who need a work permit, but do not require a Labour Market Impact Assessment, include:

Post-doctoral fellows
Research award recipients
Eminent individuals, for example leaders in various fields
Guest lecturers

Visiting professors
Citizens of the U.S. and Mexico appointed as professors under the university, college and seminary levels of the North American Free Trade Agreement NAFTA)
Citizens of Chile appointed as professors under the Canada Chile Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA)

Variation: The employer must conduct recruitment efforts as per the following:

Advertise vacant positions in Canada
Make sure any vacant position advertised abroad is also advertised simultaneously in Canada
Advertise for a reasonable length of time (about a month) to allow broad exposure of the vacancy to Canadians and permanent residents
Demonstrate that the advertising medium used (web, print or electronic) is effective in attracting appropriate candidates for the position
Include in the advertisement this statement: "All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority"
Meet all conditions of applicable collective agreements
Outline the educational institution's hiring decision and providing summaries of Canadian applicants verified by the vice-president (academic) or other senior academic official of the educational institution
Be prepared to fill a yearly summary report on recruitment practices for Canadian academics and results

Applicability: All Provinces

Camp Counsellors

Description:The position is for a camp counsellor who will be working in Ontario.

Variation: The employer must provide documentation (e.g. job offer letters) showing efforts to hire Canadian campers from the previous year and a commitment in writing. Moreover, the employer should commit to pursue Spring recruitment campaigns in high schools and post-secondary institutions.

Applicability: Ontario only

Certificate of Selection from Quebec

Description: Employers who intend to hire a foreign national who has been selected by Quebec as a first step to get permanent residence and who has received a Certificate of Selection in Quebec (CSQ).

Variation: Employers can be exempted from the recruitment and advertising requirement only if Service Canada determines, during the assessment of the LMIA application, that the National Occupational Classification (NOC) code used for the job offer and the description of the position is the same as the NOC code found on the CSQ.

Employers will be required to conduct all recruitment efforts, as per the minimum advertising requirements, if Service Canada determines that the NOC code listed on the CSQ is not the same as the one mentioned on the LMIA application.

As of June 1, 2012, employers hiring a temporary foreign worker who has a CSQ and who resides in the province of Quebec may not require a LMIA.

Applicability: Quebec only

Collective Bargaining Agreement that Stipulates Internal Recruitment

Description: The position is part of a collective bargaining agreement that contains provisions for hiring/promoting through internal staffing processes. This pertains to cases where a temporary foreign worker started employment, as per the original approved LMIA and work permit, but who has, through an internal hiring process — stipulated for a collective bargaining unit through a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) — was promoted to a different occupation. In this case a new LMIA and work permit would be required since the foreign worker was hired in a different occupation.

Variation: In this case, internal posting for the position, as per the CBA, will suffice to satisfy minimum advertising requirements. Specifically, the employer must provide the internal posting of the opportunity for promotion. All members of the Collective Bargaining Unit must have had an opportunity to apply for the position.

It is important to note that an internal posting for a position can only be accepted as minimum advertising requirements for workplaces/positions that are covered by a CBA, which stipulates internal recruitment. This does not extend to promotions granted in other scenarios.

Applicability: All Provinces

Employer Associations

Description: An employer association can be authorized to advertise on behalf of one or more of its members.

Variation: An employer association advertising for positions on behalf of an employer, or a number of employers, must advertise according to the general advertising requirements for NOC 0, A, B, C and D.

In addition, the following documents must be submitted with the employer’s LMIA application:

a signed Appointment of Representative form, specifically authorizing the third-party representative to act on their behalf. Service Canada officers may, at their discretion, contact employers directly to confirm the authorization
a report on recruitment efforts, to demonstrate that the position was advertised, and include copies of the advertisements, the number of Canadian or permanent resident applicants, and why the applicants were not hired

Employer associations, who are conducting advertising for more than one job for the same employer, or are advertising for multiple employers, must ensure that the advertisement includes the wage range for each job and location. The wage range must always include the prevailing wage for the position.

Applicability: All Provinces

Hiring by a Foreign Government

Description: The position is with an international organization or the mission of a foreign government, but is not exempt under Section 186 (work permit not required) or Section 204 (business visitor under GATS or NAFTA) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

Variation: In such cases, the international organization or foreign government will have selected the foreign national according to its own process and in light of its own requirements. No advertising or recruitment is required.

Applicability: All Provinces

Entertainment Sector

Description: The position is for a specific occupation in the entertainment sector where a worker is often hired for a very limited number of days, in a specific location, and on very short notice (e.g., boxers, bar bands, DJ’s, musicians, singers, film directors and first assistant directors for feature films and commercials, key actors, artists, film or television crew for short productions and commercials, etc.).

Variation: No advertising or recruitment is required.

Applicability: All Provinces

In-Home Caregiver

Description: Employers hiring in-home caregivers under the TFW Program must follow the same recruitment requirements set out for high-wage occupations or low-wage occupations.

Variation: As part of the job advertisement, employers do not need to list the business address (e.g. home address) as part of the advertisement. However, they should include information regarding the location of work. Employers may not list their full name, but rather can use their first name only or other reasonable identifier.

Applicability: All provinces and territories

On-farm Primary Agriculture (Higher-skilled and Lower-skilled Occupations)

Description: Employers hiring temporary foreign workers to work in on-farm primary agriculture have specific advertising criteria that must be met for:

higher-skilled positions such as farm managers/supervisors and specialized livestock workers (specifically National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes 8251, 8252, 8253, 8254 and 8256)
lower-skilled positions such as general farm workers, nursery and greenhouse workers and harvesting labourers (specifically NOC codes 8431, 8432 and 8611)

Variation: To meet the minimum advertising requirements, employers must advertise on the national Job Bank or its provincial/territorial counterpart in British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Quebec or Saskatchewan. The advertisement must be posted:

for a minimum of 14 calendar days starting from the first day the ad appears and is accessible to the general public
during the three-month period prior to the employer applying for a LMIA

Employers must also conduct recruitment activities consistent with the normal practice for the occupation for a minimum of 14 calendar days. To meet this requirement, employers must choose one or more of the following methods to advertise:

on recognized Internet employment sites such as Monster, Workopolis
in local and regional newspapers, newsletters
in ethnic newspapers and Internet sites
in local stores, places of worship, community resource centres
in local and regional employment centres

The advertisement must include the:

Company operating name
Business address
Title of position
Job duties (for each position, if advertising more than one vacancy)
Terms of employment
Wage

Benefits package being offered (if applicable)
Location of work (local area, city or town)
Contact information: telephone number, cell phone number, email address, fax number, or mailing address
Skills requirements:

Education
Work experience

Third-party representatives or recruiters can be the main contact for any job advertisements posted on behalf of the employer. However, the advertisement must be listed under the employer’s Canada Revenue Agency business number.

Religion Instructors

Description: The position is for an instructor in a faith-based independent school (Other Religious Occupations, NOC 4217). This variation only applies to situations where the provincial Ministry of Education delegates to the independent school the ability to establish the qualifications of their instructors based on religion.

Variation: Employers must advertise on the national Job Bank (or provincial equivalent), or conduct similar recruitment activities consistent with the occupation (e.g. advertising in church publications) three months prior to applying for a LMIA.

Applicability: All provinces

Owners/Operators

Description: The position is for business owners and does not refer to individuals who receive shares as part of a compensation package. To qualify as an owner/operator, the foreign national must:

demonstrate a level of controlling interest in the business, e.g. be a sole proprietor or a majority shareholder
demonstrate that such temporary entry will result in the creation or retention of employment opportunities for Canadians and permanent residents and/or skills transfer to Canadians and permanent residents
not be able to be dismissed

Variation: No advertising or recruitment is required.

Applicability: All Provinces

Seasonal Agricultural Workers

Description: The position is for a seasonal agricultural worker who will be working in Quebec under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).

Variation: Employers must conduct their recruitment efforts.

Applicability: Quebec only

Specialized Service Technicians/Specialized Service Providers

Description: When the work requires a specialist having proprietary knowledge and/or experience related to the work to be performed, the duration of the work is limited, and there is no opportunity for Canadians to be trained.

Situations to which this variation could apply include (but are not limited to):

Service required for equipment manufactured outside of Canada and the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) does not have Canadian licensees that can do the work (equipment is generally no longer under warranty, or covered by an after sales agreement); or
The work to be performed requires someone currently unavailable in Canada, with proprietary knowledge, experience and/or tools from the OEM (or an approved OEM licensee) to perform the work or to oversee and direct Canadians doing the work; or
Service required for equipment that is so old (no longer in production) that customized parts have to be manufactured / or new parts reconfigured by an OEM approved technician / representative.

Variation: No advertising or recruitment is required.

Applicability: All Provinces

Warranty Work

Description: When the work entails installation, inspection or repair of equipment, and the terms of the warranty require the work to be done by skilled workers designated by the manufacturer.

Variation: No advertising or recruitment is required.

Applicability: All Provinces