Foreign Worker Jobs — LMIA-Supported Agriculture, Healthcare, Trades and Transport Roles, Canadian Employers

Canadian employers who cannot find a Canadian or permanent resident for a role can apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) and hire a foreign worker on an employer-specific work permit. In 2025 most approved positions were in agriculture, food service and processing, transport and caregiving.

How it works

The employer applies to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for the LMIA and pays $1,000 per position. With a positive LMIA and a job offer, you apply to IRCC for a work permit tied to that employer.

Requirements

• A genuine job offer from an employer with a positive LMIA, or an LMIA-exempt route such as an intra-company transfer
• The qualifications and any licence the job needs — nurses must register with a provincial regulator before they practise
• No set language test for an LMIA work permit, though permanent residence programs require one

How the pay works

• Job Bank medians. $18.00 an hour for harvesting labourers and cooks, $26.42 for truck drivers, $35.00 for electricians and $43.27 for registered nurses
• Low-wage limits. Jobs below the provincial threshold face a 10% workforce cap, a one-year maximum and no processing in cities with 6% unemployment or more

Before you apply

Never pay for an LMIA or a job offer. The employer cannot charge or recover the LMIA fee or any recruitment fee from you, and IRCC says no one can guarantee you a job or a visa.

Note: LMIA decisions, wages and work permit eligibility are set by employers, ESDC and IRCC — not by JobGader. Confirm the details on canada.ca before applying.