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Canada – New Job Match Service Announced for LMIA Applications

18 Sep

Canada has recently announced a new Job Match service that must be utilized by employers seeking to hire through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). This new Job Match service will affect both high-wage and low-wage Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications. LMIA applications require the employer to conduct three different recruiting activities, including the placement of advertisements on the Government of Canada’s Job Bank.

The Job Match service will enable employers to see anonymous profiles of registered job seekers. The anonymous profiles will correspond to the skills and experience requirements placed in the job posting. Each match will be rated on a star system from one to five, with the understanding that the higher the star rating, the more compatible the job seeker will be for the position. For high-wage positions, the employer will be required to invite all job seekers rated with four or more stars to apply for the position. Alternatively, for low-wage positions, the employer must invite all job seekers with a rating of two or more stars.

As a reminder, not all foreign workers will require an LMIA to work in Canada. Certain employees may qualify for an LMIA-exempt work permit, such as the NAFTA Professional or Intra-Company Transfer classification. We recommend contacting Foster LLP for an assessment before beginning the work permit application process to ensure the employer is pursuing the most appropriate category.

Foster will continue to monitor the changes to the Job Match service and all changes to Canadian immigration processes and requirements. Future updates will be made available via our website at www.fosterglobal.com or Immigration Updates©.