When can you apply for your LMIA, and what will it cost?
Put in the day your Job Bank ad went live and how many positions you need. You see the earliest day you can send the application, the last day your ads still count, the ESDC processing fee and a rough start date for the worker. It all runs in your browser.
A planning aid, not legal or immigration advice. Rules, fees and processing times change. Check the program requirements for your stream on Canada.ca before you advertise or apply, or ask a licensed consultant or lawyer.
See who already got an LMIA for this job
Search every employer in Canada with a positive LMIA by job, NOC code, city and province. Free to search. The full list of any search, with addresses and a CSV, is CA$19 one time.
How the dates work
Most LMIA streams ask the employer to advertise the job in Canada before applying: on Job Bank and through at least two other methods, for at least 4 weeks in a row, within the 3 months before the application goes in. So the earliest day to apply is 4 weeks after the ads start. If you wait more than 3 months from the start date, those 4 weeks no longer count and you advertise again. Keep at least one ad running until you get a decision.
The fee
The processing fee is CA$1,000 for each position you ask for, paid to ESDC with the application. It is the employer's cost. An employer or recruiter can't charge it, or any fee for a job, to the worker.
Before you advertise
Look up who else got a positive LMIA for the same job in your area. It shows how often that occupation is approved there and who you compete with for workers. Search employers or browse by province and city.