If you do not have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident status but wish to be employed in a Canadian company, you will need to obtain a valid Work Permit. You can do so once you obtain a job offer from a Canadian company and your prospective employer obtains a positive LMIA letter.

Depending on the stream, LMIA can take anywhere between 2 weeks to 3 months*. LMIA is submitted primarily to assess the employer and job conditions that are being offered to you. Once LMIA is approved, only then your active involvement starts by way of applying for the work permit.

*Please note that nationals of certain countries applying for a work permit under specific categories are exempt from an LMIA. For more information, please see our LMIA-Exempt page.

WHAT DO I NEED TO PROVIDE FOR AN LMIA?

While your active involvement does not begin until your employer obtains a positive LMIA letter, we will provide our service to you by supporting your employer at every step of the way by following a simple process outlined below:
- Organize a call with your employer to confirm their eligibility to make an application for an LMIA;
- Prepare and finalize advertisement draft that will be used for recruiting purposes to show the need for your employment in Canada;
- Complete mandatory forms, gather required documents and collect applicable signatures for the submission;
- Submit the application, monitor for updates, prepare the employer for the interview with ESDC officer;
- Once LMIA approval letter is received, we assist you with preparation and submission of your work permit application.

WHAT WILL BE THE VALIDITY OF MY WORK PERMIT AND CAN I EXTEND IT?

1 or 2 years based on the position and the wage that will be offered to you. If your work permit will come close to expiry, you will be able to extend it only if:
- Your current employer submitted a new application for an LMIA; or
- You found a new employer who will submit a new LMIA on your behalf.

Please be advised that you can apply for work permit extension before the expiry of your current permit. Meaning that if your permit expired, you will have 90 days to apply to restore your status and obtain a new work permit. After 90 days, you will need to leave Canada and apply for a work permit from your country of permanent residence.

If you are interested, book a consultation and a dedicated member of our team will assist you.

HOW CAN I FIND A CANADIAN EMPLOYER?

This is entirely your responsibility to conduct necessary research and submit resumes to applicable companies that have openings matching your qualifications. If you are not sure where to start, our team offers to prepare an assessment report for you which will give you a clearer direction on where to start. We will look at your resume and provide you with a full assessment including:
- Applicable titles and codes associated with them under National Occupational Classification;
- Minimum wages you must be paid based on the title;
- Any other additional useful information regarding licensing if your profession falls under a specific skilled occupation; and
- Useful links on where to start looking for a job based on your profile.

CAN I WORK FOR ANOTHER EMPLOYER ON MY WORK PERMIT?

No, work permits that are issued as a result of a positive LMIA are also called “Employer-Specific” work permits, meaning you can only work for the employer that is mentioned on your work permit. If you find a new employment opportunity and wish to switch jobs, your new employer will need to submit a new LMIA which you will be able to use to obtain a new work permit.

IS IELTS REQUIRED FOR LMIA? WHAT IS LMIA IN SUPPORT OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE? CAN MY EMPLOYER SUPPORT MY APPLCIATION FOR PR?

Great news for some: IELTS is not a required document for an LMIA, but you need to meet basic language requirements in order to execute the role for which you are applying to. Your employer can submit an application for an LMIA in support of your permanent residence, meaning that you will be awarded 50 or 200 points in Express Entry based on your job title.

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU APPLY FOR A WORK PERMIT?

We will assist and support you from the beginning stages of your application until the final stages when you receive the decision letter form IRCC. We will advise you on what documents you will need to provide us with to make a strong application for your work permit and will provide applicable feedback to ensure that your documents meet IRCC submission standards.

To us it does not matter if you are inside or outside Canada, we will be with you every step of the way. We will submit your application for a work permit to IRCC on-line via third party representative portal, enabling direct access to check the progress of your application. Depending on your country of residence or nationality, we can advise you on the fastest way to obtain a work permit if applicable.

In the event you are interested in applying for permanent residence in Canada, we can assist with that inquiry as well!

WHY HIRE ENCUBATE?

Encubate is a professional immigration consulting firm helping skilled foreign nationals find the right pathway for immigration to Canada. Our team is built by immigrants: we all have personal experience navigating through Canadian immigration pathways, offering you a wide range of expertise that will save you time and unnecessary stress. By allowing us to represent you, we will provide you with reliable service and support to properly apply for a Canadian work permit that meets IRCC requirements and criteria. This is how we can support your application for a work permit:
- Provide you with individualized checklist outlining documents that will be needed;
- Conduct a thorough review and advise you of any deficiencies;
- Suggest what documents you can submit in lieu of those that you are not able to obtain;
- Prepare and submit the application to IRCC; and
- Monitor your application, advise you of updates, and prepare instructions on where and how to obtain your work permit.

Attend one of our webinars or book a one-on-one consultation with us to learn more details about this process.