To hire a foreign worker, employers must submit a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) application to the Canadian government and meet specific conditions.

In general, as part of the LMIA process, Canadian employers must show that hiring a foreign worker will have a positive or neutral impact on the Canadian labour market, and that there is currently no Canadian citizen or permanent resident available to fill the position, which is typically accomplished by advertising the position in multiple places.

However, in other cases, advertisements and recruitment are not required, removing one of the most difficult aspects of an LMIA application.

The process is greatly accelerated and the possibility of LMIA success is increased by not needing to demonstrate suitable advertisement and sufficient recruitment efforts. Although the application process is facilitated, the employer must still pay the $1,000.00 government processing fee.