For many new immigrants, gaining Canadian work experience is an essential step towards immigration, as it not only improves their abilities to match the demands of the labour market but also helps them become more eligible for immigration.
A work permit is typically required in order to be able to work in Canada. Once obtained, a work permit holder is granted temporary resident status and is able to live and work in the nation. Seeking a work permit backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) may be beneficial for immigrants who wish to work in Canada but do not have access to another type of work permit.
The Canadian government’s evaluation of how hiring a foreign worker might affect the country’s labor market is known as an LMIA. The LMIA must yield a positive, or neutral, result in order to support a work permit application; a negative result disqualifies the position from this type of work visa. Determining whether a permanent resident or citizen of Canada is available to fill a post is another benefit of using an LMIA.
In Canada, positions that are awarded LMIAs are frequently in great demand. The jobs that obtained the greatest LMIAs in 2023 are broken down below by CIC News using information from the Canadian government.
According to Canada’s open data portal, In 2023 the following jobs received the most LMIAs throughout the year:
| Job Title | 2016 NOC Code | LMIAs Issued in 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| General Farm Workers | 8431 | 8289 |
| Cooks | 6322 | 5187 |
| Food service supervisors | 6311 | 3739 |
| Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations | 6711 | 2576 |
| Administrative assistants | 1241 | 1619 |
| Retail sales supervisors | 6211 | 1358 |
| Information systems analysts and consultants | 2171 | 1168 |
| Computer programmers and interactive media developers | 2174 | 1133 |
| Transport truck drivers | 7511 | 1131 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 7611 | 994 |
| Administrative officers | 1221 | 990 |
The job names and employment codes listed above match the National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2016 codes. In order to identify and categorize professions within the Canadian economy, Canada employs the NOC system. It’s interesting to note that a large number of the NOC Codes from 2016 were increased in 2021, producing more specialized occupations that were previously combined.
For instance, in 2021 the General Farm Workers (8431) NOC Code from 2016 was enlarged to:
Use the IRCC’s NOC code conversion chart to see if employment positions and NOCs have changed between 2016 and 2021.
The majority of the top 100 jobs that acquired LMIAs were in the transportation, logistics, food service, construction, administrative, farming, technology, and technology management sectors of the economy.
Over 60,000 LMIAs were granted by the Canadian government in total to encourage the hiring of foreign workers in 2023. Additionally, candidates for these jobs obtained work permits through various Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) streams. The primary immigration program that grants work permits backed by the LMIA is the TFWP. There are various streams under the TFWP, and candidates are eligible for different streams according on the industry, type of work, duties, pay, and nature of the employment.
Four of the top ten jobs that obtained an LMIA last year came from the TFWP’s low-wage stream, four from its high-wage stream, one from the Global Talent Stream (GTS), and one from the Primary Agriculture stream, which received the most LMIAs overall.
If immigrants need an LMIA but have some flexibility in where they work, they might choose to focus on jobs that have historically had a lot of LMIAs issued.
It is important for newcomers to keep in mind that their employers are the ones that apply for the LMIA and cover any related costs. When applying for an LMIA, employers must also adhere to the prescribed procedures and TFWP requirements, which include posting job advertisements publicly for a predetermined period of time.
Canada announced many modifications to the TFWP and LMIAs in March 2024, including adjustments to the worker quotas and validity periods.
Visit our dedicated homepage here to find out more about LMIAs and the application procedure. Click here to find out more about the TFWP.
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