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Central Alberta, Canada
Immigration Pathways A specific employer, a specific job

Employer-Driven Pathway (LMIA-Supported)

Temporary work permits built around a specific employer and a specific job.

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At a glance

Job offer required?
Yes
Leads to
Temporary work permit
Run by
Federal

What It Is

This pathway falls under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). A specific Canadian employer applies for government approval, called a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), to show that hiring a foreign worker for a specific role is justified, usually because no Canadian or permanent resident was available to fill it. Once the LMIA is approved, the worker can apply for an employer-specific work permit.

Key Terms

TFWP
Temporary Foreign Worker Program. The federal program behind this pathway.
LMIA
Labour Market Impact Assessment. Government approval showing that hiring a foreign worker for a specific role is justified.
Employer-specific work permit
A work permit tied to one employer and one job, for a set period.

Who It’s For

Workers filling a specific role that a Canadian employer has been unable to fill locally. Wage levels generally sort applications into “high-wage” and “low-wage” streams, and requirements can differ between them.

Job Offer Required?

Yes. This entire pathway starts with a specific employer and a specific job. There is no version of this route without an employer already lined up.

What It Leads To

A temporary, employer-specific work permit. It is not, by itself, a path to permanent residence, and the worker is tied to that employer for the length of the permit. Time spent working in Canada this way can sometimes strengthen a later application through another pathway, such as Express Entry or a provincial nomination.

Step by step

How the Process Generally Works

  • Employer (ESDC)
  • Worker (IRCC)
  1. 1

    Employer (ESDC)

    The employer applies for and receives a positive LMIA for the specific position.

  2. 2

    Worker (IRCC)

    The worker uses the positive LMIA to apply for a work permit tied to that employer and job.

  3. 3

    Worker (IRCC)

    Once the work permit is approved, the worker can begin working for that employer.

  4. 4

    Worker (IRCC)

    The permit is valid for a set period and tied to that job. Changing employers generally means applying for a new permit.

Good to Know

The LMIA process is the employer’s responsibility, not the worker’s, but it directly affects the worker’s timeline, since the job can’t be filled by a foreign worker until the LMIA is approved. Wage thresholds used to sort positions into processing streams are reviewed and adjusted periodically, which can affect how an application is processed.

Important to Know

LMIA and TFWP rules, wage thresholds, and processing streams are set by the federal government and change periodically. This page describes the general shape of the pathway. It does not guarantee that any specific job, employer, or worker will receive a positive LMIA or work permit approval. Speak with a licensed immigration professional to find out whether this pathway fits your specific situation.

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Other pathways

See all pathways
Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Permanent residence Rural Renewal Stream Permanent residence Express Entry Permanent residence Francophone Mobility Temporary work permit Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) Temporary open work permit

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Find out whether this pathway fits your specific situation.

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