A Job Offer in Canada: What Is Still Missing Before a Work Permit?
An employer says yes. Why does that not settle permission to work in Canada? A closer look at offers, LMIAs and work permits.
An employer’s offer can feel like the decisive moment. In immigration terms, however, the job offer and permission to work are different things.
Why are several documents involved?
IRCC distinguishes employer-specific and open work permits. An employer-specific permit carries conditions tied to the employment; an open permit is available only in eligible situations. A job offer does not automatically create eligibility for either route.
Does a positive LMIA settle the application?
A Labour Market Impact Assessment concerns the employer’s proposed hiring of a foreign worker. A positive assessment can support a work-permit application, but it is not the worker’s permit or a guarantee of approval.
What does LMIA-exempt really mean?
An exemption rests on a particular category. For many employer-specific exemptions, an Employer Portal submission and compliance fee form part of the process, with exceptions. LMIA-exempt and work-permit-exempt are not interchangeable descriptions.
The distinction is why apparently similar offers can lead to different immigration questions.
For individual questions, private consultations with Transfigured Immigration provide a separate setting for discussing a person’s circumstances.
Editorial information based on the official sources below. This article does not assess individual eligibility or recommend a course of action. Rules and circumstances can change.
Official sources: