【项目状态：已取消】企业主工签（Owner Operator LMIA）政策已经取消，本页内容为历史介绍。现行可替代的联邦工签路径为：C11创业/自雇工签（重大利益类）与ICT跨国派遣工签（C61/C62/C63），详情见本站对应项目页面。
About LMIA Immigration for Business Owners
Labor Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a permission document required by Canadian employers when hiring overseas personnel. It is divided into two categories: one is for "employer-sponsored immigrants" for employees, and the other is for business owners themselves.
Business owners can help themselves obtain an LMIA by purchasing a business or building a new business. Once you get your LMIA, you can get a work permit.
After an applicant obtains the Owner Operator LMIA, it usually adds 50 or 200 points to the federal skilled immigration points system (depending on the applicant's application category). Therefore, in terms of English proficiency, if an applicant has a score of 6 in each of the four IELTS components, plus the 50 or 200 points added above, he or she can directly enter the Canadian EE Express Immigration Channel and obtain Canadian immigration status.
Groups suitable for business owners LMIA immigration
- Excellent entrepreneurs/business owners who really want to set up a company in Canada;
- The applicant's English proficiency is relatively high and can reach the standard of 6 points in each of the four IELTS components in order to directly enter the Federal Skilled Express Immigration Channel for immigration;
- The applicant's work background is consistent or strongly related to the Canadian company, and can prove to the Canadian government that he or she has the experience and ability to successfully operate the Canadian company.
Specific conditions for applying for a business owner LMIA
- Establish a new company or purchase/invest in and manage an existing Canadian company;
- Write a detailed business plan detailing business projects, market potential, job creation and investment;
- Strong proof of the applicant’s previous business ability and educational background;
- Can prove that the applicant will play an active management role in the daily operations of the Canadian company;
- Proof of the applicant’s English proficiency (IELTS score).
Key Points to Apply for a Business Owner LMIA
The key point for business owner LMIA immigration is to prove that the applicant is qualified to invest in and manage a new or existing Canadian business, which can not only create more jobs for the Canadian government, but also pay more taxes for the Canadian government.
Therefore, for applicants with successful management experience, who are investment-ready and confident in their business investment, they can demonstrate their due diligence in fully understanding the local business environment and explain a new or existing business environment. The business plan of a Canadian company's actual future value to the Canadian market becomes a guarantee for obtaining the business owner's LMIA!
Frequently Asked Questions about Applying for a Business Owner LMIA
Q1: What are the requirements for employers to submit an LMIA application? What materials need to be provided?
Applying for an LMIA usually requires the employer to provide: employment invitation letter and employment certificate, the registration legal documents and operation records of the own company, tax certificates and tax bills, commercial lease agreements and a series of documents.
At the same time, the applicant's personal information needs to be submitted, and the key point is to reflect the applicant's indispensability in the daily management of the enterprise.
Q2: Can a newly established company submit an LMIA application? What are the financial requirements for an employer to apply for an LMIA?
The age of a company's establishment cannot be generalized, but new companies need talents to develop the market, which is in line with the thinking of the Canadian government, and it is common for companies to lose money in the early stages. ESDC (Employment and Social Development Canada) has never stated what type, size, or nature of business a company is eligible to submit an LMIA application for.
ESDC does not have particularly clear guidance on a company's financial status, but if a company suffers financial losses for a long time, it will be difficult to convince the other party that the company has the financial strength to hire applicants.
For new businesses, a strong business plan needs to be submitted to illustrate the company's development potential, the jobs it can create in Canada, and its expected economic contribution.
Q3: What criteria do ESDC officials use to approve LMIA applications?
Whether ESDC approves the LMIA applied for by the company depends mainly on the unemployment rate of the position, its salary level and actual working hours. If necessary, ESDC officials will call the employer to ask questions, including requesting additional materials.
Canadian immigration applications such as FSW (skilled immigrants) have a points system. If the applicant reaches no less than 67 points, the immigration officer does not have the discretion to disapprove the application. But for LMIA, ESDC officials have discretionary authority (Discretionary Authority) to accept or reject an application, and his judgment cannot be appealed, although the applicant can make a comeback.
Q4: If my application for LMIA is rejected, can the supplementary application materials be reconsidered by ESDC?
If the LMIA application is rejected, applications with the same content will not be reconsidered. In principle, the applicant needs to update the application. Because there is no mechanism for appeal or request for review under the new LMIA policy. Unless the applicant changes to another position or applies for a job at a different company, he or she can submit an LMIA application with different content.
