Temporary Foreign Workers Programs – (TFWP) is administered by IRCC to help Canadian employers fill labor and skill gaps. When no Canadians and permanent residence are available. To make it easier for employers to access foreign workers, IRCC is committed to speeding up the processing time of LMIA – (Labor Market Impact Assessments).
A condition of the work permits given to foreign workers through this program. The condition is that employers must submit an LMIA. It demonstrates whether the hire will have a positive or neutral effect on the Canadian labor market.
A total of 21 business days were spent processing LMIAs across the seven streams tracked by IRCC in December 2022. In-home care, the permanent resident stream, the Global Talent Stream, the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program, and the High-wage Stream are among these streams.
The following three scenarios may result in an LMIA processing period accelerated by up to 10 business days. While there is a faster processing period for some categories of employers, they must still fulfill all regular program conditions.
Occupational LMIAs for skilled trades employees in high-wage occupations
An employer has the option to utilize expedited service standards for foreign workers if they are hired in skilled trades and are paid at least the average wage in the specific province or territory where the job is located. Additionally, the employer must believe that these foreign workers are essential to the economic growth of Canada. For the development of infrastructure and extraction of resources, these skilled trades are necessary.
A LMIA for workers earning more than 10% of the national average
An expedited 10-business-day service may be requested by an employer for a temporary foreign worker if their salary meets or exceeds the top 10% of salaries earned by Canadian citizens or permanent residents in the same province or territory where the job is located. This category of foreign workers is considered to possess high levels of skills that are in high demand. As well as hard to find in the Canadian labor market.
The median hourly wage, as of April 30, 2022, for each province and territory in Canada (based on the 2019 wages) is:
- $28.85 in Alberta (AB)
- $23.00 in Manitoba
- $26.06 in Ontario
- $26.44 in British Columbia
- $25.96 in Saskatchewan
- $22.00 in Nova Scotia
- $25.00 in Quebec
- $24.29 in Newfoundland $ Labrador
- $21.79 in New Brunswick
- $21.63 in Prince Edward Island
- $32.00 in Yukon
- $37.30 in Northwest Territories
- $36.00 in Nunavut
Workers in short-term occupations with LMIAs
Expedited 10 business-day service standards are available for employers hiring foreign workers for a period no longer than 120 calendar days. Like the first category, the foreign worker must receive a wage that is at least as high as the regional or provincial median wage where the job is located.
Repairs, warranty handling, and using manufacturing equipment are among the jobs in this category.
