Program eligibility
Work Permit — LMIA Required
The eligibility criteria below are drawn from the governing regulation and IRCC program guidance, each anchored to the verbatim source text so you can read the rule as it is written and follow it to the official page.
Eligibility criteria
The requirements below are drawn directly from the governing regulation and IRCC program guidance for Work Permit — LMIA Required. Each is anchored to the verbatim source text, not a paraphrase, so you can read the rule as it is written and follow it to the official page.
“provide any additional documents requested by the officer to establish your admissibility”
“provide any other documents the officer needs to establish your admissibility”
“a Quebec Acceptance Certificate (CAQ) (if you plan to work a **paid** job in Quebec for **more than 30 days**)”
“a letter from your current employer”
“employers must notify the temporary foreign worker that the LMIA was approved”
“employers must send the positive LMIA letter to the temporary foreign worker”
“You need a job offer.”
“Your employer may need a labour market impact assessment (LMIA).”
“an employment contract”
“to meet the general requirements for all work permit applicants”
“be in good health and complete a medical examination, if required”
“be in good health and complete a medical exam, if needed”
“to have a job offer from an employer who’s not on the list of non-compliant employers”
“proof that you meet the requirements of the job (for example, the license or certification if your job is regulated)”
“satisfy an officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your employment”
“If an exemption doesn’t apply, then - you need an LMIA to hire the worker **and** - the worker needs a work permit”
“Most employers need an LMIA before they can hire a temporary foreign worker.”
“Positive decisions issued for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications received as of May 1, 2024, are valid for up to 6 months.”
“not intend to engage in employment with an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages”
“not plan to work with an employer who, on a regular basis, offers striptease, erotic dance, escort services or erotic massages”
“not intend to engage in employment with an employer on the List of Ineligible Employers”
“not be a danger to the security of Canada”
“You do **not** need an LMIA if the worker has an [open work permit](/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/open-work-permit.html).”
“a reference letter from past employers”
“1 photo meeting the visa photo specifications”
“2. Tell them to [apply for a work permit](/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada.html#location).”
“a copy of the positive LMIA and LMIA file number”
“If you receive a **positive** LMIA decision letter, you need to take **both** of these steps: 1. Provide each worker with - a copy of the decision letter - the letter’s Annex A – Employment details”
“If you’re hiring **with** an LMIA You need to - get a Quebec Acceptance Certificate **(CAQ)** from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) - give a **copy** of the CAQ to your worker”
“When the worker applies for a work permit, they must submit - a copy of the CAQ - a copy of the positive LMIA decision letter”
“show that you have enough money during your stay in Canada to take care of yourself and your family members and to return home”
“employers who don't provide the names of the temporary foreign workers when applying for an LMIA must continue to try and recruit Canadians and permanent residents until they choose a temporary foreign worker”
“proof of past work experience (for example, pay stubs)”
“temporary foreign workers must apply for a work permit at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)”
Run a real file against these rules
Navisa is an AI file-prep engine for Canadian immigration firms. It reads the documents on a file, cross-checks them against each other, runs the eligibility analysis against retrieved official sources, and flags what an officer would — citations attached.
Run a file through it