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Writer's pictureFingerprinting Security Canada

Is LMIA a good way to immigrate? What is a Recognized Employer Pilot Program (REP)?


When we think of immigrating to Canada, mostly things and options that pop up are Express Entry (EE), Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), Family reunion program (Super-Visa) and recently added during pandemic the Hong Kong pathway. But today, we are going to talk about the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) , a way very different from what we normally think about immigration, a cooperation from both the employer and employee so it may work as a way of immigrating to Canada.


What exactly is LMIA? LMIA stands for Labour Market Impact Assessment, this is a document that Canadian employers must apply for before hiring foreign national employees from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Its purpose is to determine whether the employer has the demand and ability to hire foreign nationals. With a positive LMIA, it proves that your employer has been recognized by the government, and the job offer from your employer to you has been filed by the government.



As of August 8th, 2023. Canada has announced a new policy to help employers better hire foreign workers. This will be a 3-year pilot project to help employers with good foreign worker employment records more easily obtain LMIA approval and hire foreigners to work in Canada. The name of the new project is Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) and this program will officially start accepting applications in September this year.


Employers are required to meet the following conditions in order to participate in REP:

1. Successfully obtained more than three positive LMIA approvals for the same position in the past 5 years;

2. The position needs to be a shortage position on the Canadian Occupational Prediction System (COPS) list.


REP is implemented in two phases:

1. Employers in primary agriculture can submit applications for the 2024 season commencing September 2023;

2. The second phase will start in January 2024 and allow all other industries to participate.


In the past, LMIA was only valid for 18 months and the employer needed to re-apply after each end. It could be a time-consuming and a frustrating process for both the employers and employees. And now, this project will extend the validity period of LMIA to three years. And employers who meet certain requirements will have simplified procedures to shorten the time for them to obtain LMIA!



This being said, we can expect more foreign nationals and skilled workers coming into Canada in the next 3 to 5 years for sure. And if you are currently in progress of immigrating and need a criminal record check from RCMP, we might be the best fit for you. Feel free to check out our website or call us for more information.


Fingerprinting Security Canada Inc. is here to provide digital fingerprinting services that can help you with applying for criminal record check (CRC) for LMIA related programs purposes.


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