Employer Portal Canada: LMIA-Exempt Offer Preparation

If you are an Alberta employer hiring a foreign worker for a position that is exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), the usual route is the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Employer Portal. You submit an offer of employment, pay the employer compliance fee unless an exemption applies, and give the worker an offer of employment number for their work permit application. If no exemption fits, the route is different: an LMIA through Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC). Working out which process applies comes first.

This guide is not a sign-in page. The Employer Portal is reached only through Canada.ca, and your account stays with your organization.

Two programs, two departments

IRCC’s hiring page puts it plainly: the hiring program you use depends on whether you need an LMIA. An LMIA, in IRCC’s words, determines whether hiring a temporary foreign worker will have a positive or negative effect on Canada’s labour market. ESDC manages that program, processes LMIA applications and issues the decision letter.

The International Mobility Program (IMP) is the other route. IRCC describes it as letting employers hire temporary foreign workers without an LMIA, and the Employer Portal is for employers hiring through the IMP.

To decide, IRCC points employers to its LMIA exemption codes and work permit exemptions. If no exemption applies, IRCC says you need an LMIA and the worker needs a work permit. Read each code’s full description, not just its title.

The order of steps: employer first, then worker

1. Confirm the exemption. IRCC notes that some employers do not need to use the Employer Portal, or are exempt from the compliance fee. If the worker already holds an open work permit, IRCC says the employer does not submit an offer or pay the fee.
2. Submit the offer and pay the fee. In most cases, IRCC says, the employer pays the employer compliance fee of $230 and submits an offer of employment through the Employer Portal. IRCC’s fee list, checked today, shows $230.00.
3. Pass on the number. After the offer is submitted, the portal issues an offer of employment number: the letter A followed by a 7-digit number. You give it to the worker.
4. The worker applies. Once the worker has the number, IRCC says, they can complete and submit the work permit application.

IRCC needs the employment details and any required fee before it can approve the work permit application. A worker already in Canada whose permit is running out should read our guide to work permit extensions and maintained status.

What to prepare before you open the portal

The portal builds the offer from four forms: business information, foreign worker details, job details, and wage and benefits. A preparation list we suggest, not an IRCC checklist:

• The exemption code you believe applies, with a short note of why the job and the worker fit it.
• The worker’s identity details exactly as they appear in their passport.
• The job title, duties, work location and intended start date, matching the signed job offer.
• Wage, hours and benefits as written in that offer.
• Who holds the portal account and who answers questions about the offer.

Signing in and getting help

IRCC offers two sign-in options: a GCKey username and password, or a Sign-In Partner. New users register from the Employer Portal page on Canada.ca, which also links the user guide and enrolment guide.

For access problems, IRCC suggests clearing your browser history, cache and cookies, then trying another browser. The same page lists an IRCC email contact and the GCKey service desk. Keep your sign-in details within your organization and do not share them with anyone, including us.

After the worker starts

IMP employers carry ongoing duties. IRCC’s employer responsibilities page says to see the worker’s work permit and know its expiry date, to keep employment documents for 6 years from the date the work permit was issued, and to make sure you or a designated employee attend any inspection with the documents requested.

Situations worth a review before you submit

• You are unsure which exemption code fits, or more than one seems possible.
• You believe the fee does not apply because the worker falls under a fee-exempt program or agreement.
• No exemption seems to fit and the hire may need an LMIA instead.
• The worker’s current permit is close to its expiry date.

Our work permits page lists the employer services we provide: LMIA review and employer guidance, and compliance review for employers hiring foreign workers. For the worker’s side of permit types, see open and closed work permits.

Book a consultation

Imprint Immigration Services is an Edmonton practice at 300-9006 132 Avenue NW; employers in Calgary and across Alberta meet with us by video. Shirani Jenita Daniel, RCIC-IRB, is licensed by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC), licence R705794. Bring the draft job offer, the exemption you are considering and any IRCC correspondence. A 30-minute consultation is $50 + Tax, by video or in person. The work permit decision rests with IRCC. Book a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Immigration advice provided by Shirani Jenita Daniel, RCIC-IRB, CICC Licence R705794. This article is general information about government processes, not advice on your situation.