The validity period on your employer’s Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) does not dictate how long you can work for in Canada.
The length of time you can stay and work in Canada is determined by the validity period of your LMIA-based work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP).
This work period on a TFWP work permit is distinct from the LMIA validity and is influenced by a “work duration” period recommended by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), based on your employer’s LMIA application.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will consider the work duration period when determining the validity period of your TFWP work permit.
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Example – Applying for a TFWP Work permit
For example, if a Canadian automobile manufacturer were to hire a foreign worker through the TFWP and facilitate their entry to Canada to work as a mechanical engineer at their factory, the timeline for this process would be as follows:
- The automobile manufacturer (the employer) applies to ESDC for an Lmia. They will want to apply well in advance of the hiring date, as processing times can vary significantly.
- For this example, the expected hiring date is December 1, 2025, so the company submits the LMIA application by July 30, 2025.
- If successful, the employer will receive a positive LMIA. This document will also include the work duration period recommendation from ESDC.
- At this point, the LMIA validity period (6 months) comes into effect. For this example, the LMIA is issued on September 19, 2025, and comes with a work duration period of one year. The LMIA will be valid until March 19, 2026.
- After receiving the positive LMIA, the employer notifies the chosen foreign worker and provides them with the LMIA, so they may apply to IRCC for a work permit within the 6-month LMIA validity period.
- Let’s assume for this example that the foreign engineer applies on September 30, 2025.
- If successful, the foreign worker will receive a TFWP work permit with a work permit validity period that will take into account the work duration (one year) recommended by ESDC.
- The work permit duration could be longer than the one year to account for travel times, but is determined on a case-by-case basis.
- For this example, we can assume that the work permit application is approved on December 18, 2025, and delivers a work permit valid from that date until 30 January, 2027 (a little over one year).
If, at the end of the work permit validity period, both the automobile manufacturer and the foreign engineer wish to extend the employment period, then the worker must apply for an extension of the TFWP work permit. Applying for an extension requires the employer to have a valid LMIA, so the employer must apply to ESDC for another LMIA for the role.
If the employer receives a new positive LMIA (which will come with a new work duration recommendation), then the foreign engineer can apply to “extend or change the conditions of their work permit” with IRCC.
The above steps must all be completed before the expiry date of the current work permit (ESDC recommends at least 30 days prior, in this case by December 31, 2026).
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As long as the foreign worker applies to extend their work permit before the original work permit expires, they will be granted maintained statusmeaning that they will be permitted to continue working under the same conditions of their previous work permit, so long as they remain in Canada, while awaiting a decision on the extension application. This means that they must continue working with the same employer, at the same factory, and in the same engineering role.
How do I get an LMIA?
An LMIA is an official document required by ESDC to support the hiring of a foreign worker for some employer-specific work permits issued under the TFWP.
An LMIA measures the impact that the hiring of a foreign worker would have on the Canadian labour market.
In issuing an LMIA (i.e, enforcing regulations to do so), ESDC is also able to ensure that a Canadian citizen or permanent resident was not available to fill the role being hired for.
LMIA application process
1. Employer applies for an LMIA
The Canadian employer must first submit an LMIA application to ESDC.
Before submitting an application, the employer must generally advertise the job in Canada for at least four consecutive weeks to show that no Canadians or permanent residents are available*.
As part of the LMIA application submission, employers must
- Provide information about wages, working conditions, and efforts to recruit locally (among other conditions); and
- Pay an LMIA processing fee.
If approved, ESDC issues a positive LMIA, allowing the employer to hire a foreign worker.
*Certain positions and situations have variations in advertising requirements needed to hire a foreign worker on an employer-specific work permit. Some positions are also exempt from needing to advertise.
2. Foreign worker applies for a work permit
After being issued a positive LMIA, the employer must hand inform the temporary foreign worker they wish to hire, so that the worker can apply for an LMIA-based work permit from IRCC.
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Their work permit application must include (among other documents)
- A copy of the positive LMIA;
- A job offer letter and employment contract;
- Proof of qualifications (e.g. education, language ability, certifications, etc.); and
- The applicable processing fee and biometrics.
If the application is approved, IRCC issues the worker a closed work permit tied to the specific employer and position.
The TFWP work permit is employer-specific, meaning the worker cannot change employers and/or roles without applying for a new work permit.
What determines how long I can work on a TFWP work permit?
To better answer this question, foreign workers must understand the difference between the LMIA validity period, the work duration, and the work permit expiry date.
The LMIA expiry date is the date by which the foreign worker must apply for a work permit. If the TFW hasn’t applied by that date, the LMIA is no longer valid, and employers must apply for a new LMIA to hire the worker. In reference to the above section, this is the amount of time a foreign worker can take to complete step 2.
Positive decisions issued for LMIA applications received as of May 1, 2024, are valid for up to 6 months.
The work duration is the recommended length of time that a work permit could be issued to a foreign worker without negatively impacting the Canadian labour market. This is based on ESDC’s assessment of an LMIA application and helps IRCC determine the work permit expiry date.
The work permit expiry date is determined by IRCC when the foreign worker applies for a work permit. It indicates how long they will be allowed to work and reside in Canada under this work authorization.
What to do if your job starts more than six months after the LMIA expiry date
It is OK for a job to start after the expiry date of the supporting LMIA; what is required is that the foreign worker submit their work permit application prior to the expiry date identified on the LMIA.
It is the responsibility of the employer to indicate when they anticipate work to start for the position they are hiring, which will allow both ESDC and IRCC to consider this when issuing work duration recommendations and the work permit itself.
How long does it take to receive an LMIA?
The processing time (the waiting period after step 1) for an LMIA application depends on the stream under which you apply (this is determined by your occupation, including the sector, and wage in your job offer).
Processing times are also impacted by ESDC’s application volumes and inventory and can vary from month to month.
Average processing times as of June 2025 are listed in the table below:
For more information on securing an LMIA work permit, including different streams, workers’ rights, and more, visit our dedicated webpage.
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